A Skyward Sword Adventure
by sslamajama97
Summary: One day, Samuel Garfello is transported into his favorite video game, Zelda: Skyward Sword. Now, he must make his way through the journey with Link at his side, find a way to free his friend from the clutches of the Demon Lord Ghirahim, and return back home. This is the first fanfic I have ever written, so please review! Contains mild language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my first fanfic, and I hope you all enjoy it! Please review if you can! I need the experience! Anyway, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I do, however, own any and all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter One: Let the Game Begin**

The bell rang. _"Finally, school is out for the week! Now I can actually do stuff I want, and not have to worry about Algebra, English, Chemistry, History, or Spanish!"_ I thought. I couldn't wait to get home. I would be playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in about twenty minutes. I had played other Zelda games, such as Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess, but Skyward Sword was the only game I actually owned. I beat it four times, and it never got boring once.

When I got home, I went upstairs and dropped off my book bag in my room. I changed into a green T-shirt with the Hylian crest on it, and a pair of jeans. I also decided to try my Halloween costume on. It was a Link costume. The costume itself wasn't anything amazing, but what I really loved was the replica of the Master Sword. It looked just like the sword from the game, and was sharp enough to hurt someone if I wanted to. I changed out of my costume and went downstairs with my sword in my hand. I set my sword down, and reached forward to press the power button on my Wii. Then, I heard a knock at my door.

I ran upstairs, and opened the door to find my friend Jack Jensen on the steps. Jack had blond hair, and was the same age as me. He was slightly taller than me as well. He and I have been friends ever since I moved to my house. "Hey, Sam. What's up?" Jack said. I thought for a second. "Nothing much, I guess. What's up with you?" I replied.

"Not much. I was just stopping by my friends' houses to see if anyone else was going to the big party on Halloween. So far, everyone I asked said they were. But, let me guess. On Saturday night, you're just going to stay here and play Zelda all night, aren't you?" He joked. I don't know why, but he thought anything but first-person shooters were stupid and childish.

I looked back at Jack. "Actually, I was going to go trick-or-treating, and then hang out with some other friends for the rest of the night. But right now I'm busy, so maybe we can do stuff later," I said. I tried to shut the door on him, but he jammed his foot in the gap and stopped the door before it moved completely closed. "No, you're not busy. You were just about to go play Zelda for the thousandth time. Come on, you can't honestly still be interested in that game. You've probably beaten it at least a hundred times," Jack said.

"Well, I still am interested in it, and you would be too if you would just try the game. But no, you think anything besides first-person shooters is too childish to play. Right now, I'm busy. I'm busy saving Hyrule from Demise and Ghirahim!" I shouted back. I kicked his foot out of the way, and shut the door in his face.

Jack was a nice guy, but he had other things to do besides invade my free time. He would be gone tonight anyway, because it was Friday, which meant he would be playing in the football game at school. I've gone to enough of those already, in my opinion. I walked downstairs to turn on my Wii. However, just as I was about to press the power button, I heard knocking on my door again. It was much more frantic than last time. I rushed to the door, opened it, and saw that there wasn't anyone there.

I stood there for a second. "Whatever, Jack. Go ahead and ding-dong-ditch me like an idiot, trying to get me pissed off!" I shouted. I shut the door, locked it, and went downstairs for the third time. I finally pressed the power button on my Wii. It turned on, and I booted up The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. However, I noticed something was wrong. At the File Select screen, I was greeted with a horrific sight: my files were completely gone! All of the slots said "New Adventure" on them.

I stared at my TV in shock. "For the love of Hylia, are you kidding me? My files just decide to go 'poof' and disappear?" I shouted. "Whatever! You know what, then? I'll start over! I don't care!" I said. I clicked one of the "New Adventure" buttons. I kept Link's name as "Link" because I prefer it that way. I clicked Start, and the game showed a black screen. However, the normal cut scenes didn't trigger. I looked at the screen closely, and noticed a familiar face reflecting in the TV from behind me. It was someone I had seen countless times, yet I have never seen in real life. I turned around, and saw the Demon Lord Ghirahim staring back at me. He laughed at me and licked his mouth with that creepy tongue of his.

I was in shock. "Hello, Samuel," Ghirahim said to me. "H-H-How d-do you know m-my name?" I asked the Demon Lord. He smiled. "Oh, don't worry about that. However, why don't you come with me? I think I might have a use for you, as well as a couple of people who you might know," he said. He walked closer to me, and I was paralyzed with fear. I wasn't thinking about what he said at the moment. I looked down and saw my Master Sword replica. I grabbed it and pointed it at Ghirahim. He laughed at me like he was insulted at the very thought of fighting me. He snapped his fingers, and I was pulled into a black void of unconsciousness.

* * *

When I woke up, I was staring at a blue sky. I was somehow outside. I heard a waterfall running, and also heard voices in the distance. They were whispering about how one of them was "going to win the Wing Ceremony after they stole that idiot's Loftwing." I was still dazed, and I didn't pay attention to what I was hearing. _"Oh, man. That is it. I should lay off the Zelda for at least a day," _I thought. I stood up and looked around. "Oh… my… Goddess!" I exclaimed, almost passing out again. The place I was in looked just like a certain city in the sky, and here's a hint: it wasn't the one from Twilight Princess. I was in Skyloft.

"This can NOT be real!" I exclaimed. I was right near the lake where the "Sky Keep" Bird Statue was. I could see the thing from across the lake. I looked to my right, and saw Groose and his buddies were walking into the Waterfall Cave. They were trying to capture Link's Loftwing.

I sat down on the ground again. _"It's okay, Samuel. You're just hallucinating, that's all. This is all some crazy dream," _I thought. I covered my ears with my hands so I could think in silence. I noticed that my ears felt completely different than they did before, and I gasped.

"No freaking way…" I said. I ran over to the lake and bent down on my hands and knees to see my reflection. I saw my face staring back at me, but there were a few changes. My hair was still dark brown, but it was a little longer than it was before. I still wore glasses, and I still had green eyes. But, poking out of my hair on both sides of my head were—

"Hylian ears. Are you freaking kidding me?" I said. My ears were now pointed, like all Hylian's ears were. They looked longer, too. So, this was how I was able to hear Groose and his friends from all the way across the lake! It was either that or they weren't very good at whispering_._ Even though I was initially shocked by my new ears, I was really grateful for them, because I knew they came with benefits. I knew they would enhance my hearing, they looked cool, and most of all, they would prevent anyone from staring at me like I was from Mars.

I sat down on the edge of the lake and started to think._ "Okay, Samuel. Just think for a second, and sum up everything. One: You're somehow in Skyloft. Two: You have to get home, but you don't know how. Three: You have been turned into a Hylian for no explainable reason. And Four: Assuming you're stuck here, you can't mess up anything major from the game, or there could be disastrous consequences,"_ I thought. That was all I could come up with, other than the obvious fact that Ghirahim was behind this.

Now that I was calmed down, I checked myself for anything that might be of use. I didn't notice it before, but my sword from my Link costume was strapped to my back in a sheath. At least I had something to defend myself with. I had Skyloftian clothes on. My green T-shirt with the Hylian crest was replaced with a simple tan shirt. My jeans were replaced with a pair of pants like the pair Link wore before he got the Knight's Tunic. But, these were blue instead of green. I also had boots on instead of tennis shoes. I checked my pockets, and I found a pouch for carrying Rupees and a map of Skyloft. There wasn't anything else.

I looked out towards Skyloft. _"You might as well go look around to see if you can find anything useful," _I thought. I started cutting grass, rolling into trees, and smashing pots. After about 10 minutes of work, I had about 65 Rupees in my wallet. I looked out towards the Statue of the Goddess, and I saw a blue Loftwing fly out of the area. It was headed towards the Knight Academy, and there was a letter in its beak. _"Okay, Samuel. Let the game begin,"_ I thought. I watched as Zelda's blue Loftwing stuck its head into Link's bedroom window. I waited a few seconds, and I heard it screech at Link. It bent its neck forward slightly, like it was spitting something. I chuckled. I always found that part funny.

Zelda's Loftwing flew out of the window, and vanished from sight. I ran up to the gate near the Statue of the Goddess and the Knight Academy. Jakamar was working on it, so it was locked. "Damn," I said to myself. I knew I wasn't going to wait for Link to come out. With my luck, he would probably see me and start asking questions. I had to get on the other side of the gate. I knew I couldn't go through the other gate, or Instructor Hornwell would see me.

I had no choice. The only way through was to jump. I was scared at first, but I calmed myself down. _"It's okay, Samuel. You'll probably do this plenty of times in the next couple of weeks anyway, so get used to it now," _I thought. After my mental pep talk, I lifted myself onto the ledge of the stairs, took a deep breath, and jumped off the side of the stairs into the sky.

Falling from an island in the sky isn't as bad as I thought it would be. It actually was pretty cool. I fell for a few seconds, feeling the wind whip past me. It almost felt like I was flying. After a few seconds, I heard the screech of a Loftwing, and felt its claws wrap around my body. A few seconds later, I was dropped between the Knight Academy and the Statue of the Goddess.

I stood up, and I heard a voice coming from the rider of the Loftwing. "Watch your step there! You can't always depend on knights like me to swoop in and save you!" he shouted. I turned to the rider and thanked him reluctantly. After he flew off, I turned and prayed at the Bird Statue that was near me. I didn't know if it would do me any good, but I felt safer after doing it. After my prayer, I turned around and entered the Knight Academy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, readers! I'm back! Well, this is the second chapter, if you couldn't tell. I hope you guys like this fanfic so far! Thanks to everyone who read my first chapter! Feel free to leave a review if you want to, good or bad. But please, don't flame. Anyway, here's Chapter 2!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Two: All is Revealed**

Once I was inside the Knight Academy, I walked toward Gaepora's office and headed down the stairs. I spotted Link walking towards me, and I kept my head down. I didn't want him to see me. Not yet, anyway. I passed Link, and went to the bottom floor. I saw Fledge trying to move his barrels. It looked like Link decided not to help out after all, or maybe he wasn't paying attention. Oh, well. I saw Link walk out the bottom doors, and knew he would be distracted with helping Instructor Hornwell find Mia, and learning about the basic things he could do. So in the meantime, I walked over to Fledge, and offered to help. He was grateful for it. I helped him move the barrels, and pocketed the 20 Rupees. "Thanks, um…" he started. "Samuel. Samuel Garfello," I replied.

"Samuel, huh?" he said. "Well, nice to meet you, Samuel. My name is Fledge. Thanks a lot for your help. I wish there was some other way I could repay you," he said. "Wait a minute! I want to give you something else! Wait here!" he suddenly said. Fledge went to his room, and came back holding an Adventure Pouch. "Here, Samuel. I put a lot of work into making this! You can take it with you," Fledge said. He handed me the Adventure Pouch. "It's an Adventure Pouch. It's for… adventures. It's neat because you can fit four things in it that you'll need. I made a few of them, and as a token of my thanks, I want you to have one," he finished.

"Wow, this is awesome! Thank you, Fledge! Maybe I'll see you later on!" I said. I put the Adventure Pouch on, and walked out of the Knight Academy on the top floor. By now, Link was probably heading to the Statue of the Goddess to see Zelda. I opened the door to find Link halfway up the steps, and I started to follow him. Luckily, he didn't notice me. He walked into the area where the statue was, and I hid behind the entrance. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of a harp being played, and the voice of a girl singing: "Oh youths, guided by the servant of the goddess… Unite earth and sky… Bring light to the land…"

Wow, Zelda sounded even better in person than she did in the game. After she was done singing, she saw Link and said good morning to him. Zelda started talking about other things I already knew, so I left my hiding spot. I went down the ledges where Link would follow Fi later to get the 20 Rupees that was there. I climbed back up the ledges, and headed towards the main part of town.

I decided to go to the Bazaar, which was open for some reason. I walked inside and started shopping. The first thing I bought was a Wooden Shield from Rupin for 50 Rupees. I also bought a Heart Potion from Luv for 20 Rupees, and she gave me an Empty Bottle to go with it. I still had some Rupees left, and didn't know what else to do with them. Then, I noticed Sparrot's tent, and I facepalmed. Why hadn't I thought of it before? I felt like a complete idiot. I could just ask Sparrot about why I was here, and what I had to do to get home. I walked up to Sparrot's tent and said hello to him. He looked at me, and spoke in a mysterious voice.

"Hello! You are the first customer I've had in a while! I'll tell you what: Normally I seek 10 Rupees to tell a fortune, but this time I will charge but 1 Rupee," he said to me. "Thanks," I said. I reached into my pouch, pulled out a single green Rupee, and handed it to Sparrot. He put it into his pocket. "Okay, young man. Tell me, what would you like to know?" Sparrot asked. I thought for a second. "How can I get back home?" I asked him.

"Let me see what I can see!" Sparrot said. He looked down at his crystal ball. "Yessssss… Your fortune… It's all coming into focus now…Ahaaaaa… I see many things. All is revealed," he said. He looked right into my face, and started to tell me my fortune. "Young man, to return home, you must help the Goddess's Chosen Hero vanquish the evil that threatens the land below. Then, you must use the sacred power handed down by the gods of old to transport yourself back to your realm," he said dramatically.

I felt relieved. _"That's it? I just help Link beat Demise and use the Triforce to go home? Bring it on!" _ I thought. I could definitely do that. After all, I've beaten this game a bunch of times. "Thanks, Sparrot!" I said. I turned around, and proceeded to walk away from the fortune-teller. But, I heard his voice again, and stopped in my tracks. "Wait! I see more! Come back!" he said. I turned around, and walked back towards him. "What is it? What else do you see?" I asked. Sparrot looked at me dramatically, and went on.

"I see you have experience in matters like this! Be warned, child. This will not be the typical journey you have gone through before, that you shall soon see! The journey ahead shall be similar, sure, but there are some complications you will run into! The exact details, alas, are something I can't see clearly. But, be warned that this won't be an ordinary journey! Be sure of that!" he exclaimed.

I thought about what Sparrot had just said. What could possibly be different from the scenario I was in and the game I had played so much, other than the fact that I was now a character in the story? It didn't make sense. I decided I would think about it later, and said goodbye to Sparrot. "Thanks, Sparrot. I'll see you later," I said. I turned away from the fortune-teller, and walked out of the Bazaar_. "That was the best Rupee I have ever spent in my life."_ I thought.

I decided to go to the Sparring Hall to practice my swordsmanship. I knew it would be a while until the Wing Ceremony started, so I decided to get in some practice. I walked up to Eagus, and asked him if he would teach me how to use a sword properly. "Sure! But, what's a kid like you doing with a sword? Only knights are supposed to have them," he said.

"_Kid? I'll be 16 in January,"_ I thought. I looked at Eagus. "It's not important. I just need to learn how to use this," I responded. Eagus had a weird look on his face, but he shrugged it off. "Whatever you say, kid. I just don't want anyone to get hurt, that's all," he said. Eagus then showed me how to use a sword and shield properly. After about a half hour, I could slash right through the logs in front of me without difficulty, and I could repel the logs hanging from the ceiling with my shield.

After I got the hang of it, Eagus asked me if I wanted to try a spin attack. "Sure!" I said. I moved into the stone circle in the middle of the hall, and logs dropped from the ceiling. Eagus told me to do a spin attack and cut them all without moving. I didn't know exactly how to do a spin attack in real life, so I just tried spinning around, and it did the trick. _"Wow. That was easy,"_ I thought.

Eagus asked me if I wanted to try out a Fatal Blow, and I said yes to that, too. Another log dropped from the ceiling. I cut it in half with my sword, and then I jumped up high in the air. I turned my sword over in my hands, and plunged my sword into the dent carved in the log. It was sliced cleanly in half. "Alright!" I exclaimed. I stood up. "Thanks, Eagus!" I said. He smiled. "It's no problem, kid. Actually, you seemed to get the hang of using a sword pretty quick. Now, at least I know you won't accidently hurt someone," he said. At that moment, the door opened, and Link walked in.

Eagus smiled. "Hello, Link! How are you today?" Eagus asked. "I'm doing well today, Eagus," Link replied, hiding the fact that he was bummed out. Link's voice was slightly higher than my voice, and my voice was pretty deep for my age. It sounded really weird to hear Link actually speaking, instead of the grunting, gasping, and screaming that I had grown used to hearing from him all the time.

"Well, go ahead and grab a sword in the back! You came to practice, right?" Eagus asked. "Um, sure I did!" Link said. He walked near the back door of the hall to get a Practice Sword, but he spotted me, and stopped. "Hello, there. I don't think I know you. What's your name?" he asked. "Samuel Garfello," I replied.

"Well, nice to meet you, Samuel. That's a nice shield you have there, and cool looking sword," he said. Link went in the back to get the Practice Sword, and came back out. I watched him cut through those logs like he was born to use a sword. And, he basically was. When he finished with the Fatal Blow, he said thanks to Eagus, and turned to leave.

However, Eagus stopped him. "Hey, Link!" Eagus said. Link turned around. "Yes?" he asked. "You can't take swords out of the Sparring Hall. What do you think you're doing sneaking out with that?!" Eagus shouted. Link looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, I guess I forgot to tell you. My Loftwing is missing, and I might need this sword to get him back," Link responded. Eagus gasped. "What? Your Loftwing is missing? You want to go look for it?" Eagus asked. Link nodded. "Yes, I do. I need to get my Loftwing back!" Link said.

Eagus thought it over. "Well, I guess I could make an exception just this once," Eagus said. "Yes!" Link exclaimed. Eagus went on. "But, remember Skyloft is a peaceful place. Only knights carry swords, so I don't want to see you swinging it around like crazy out there! I don't want to get in a ton of trouble over this, so here's the deal: make sure you get plenty of practice on these logs first, and once you get outside, only use it when you absolutely have to, got it?" Eagus said.

"Yes, I promise," Link said. He slashed a couple more logs, and proceeded to walk out the door. "Bye, Eagus," he said. Before Link could leave, I ran up to him. "Link, wait! I can help you find your Loftwing!" I said. Link turned around. "You can?" he said. I nodded. Link thought it over for a second. "Well, Pipit already told me it was near a waterfall, but I guess you can come along with me, Samuel. You might be of help," he said. _"Yes! Thank you, Hylia!" _I thought. Link and I walked out the door of the Sparring Hall and headed towards the waterfall. When we reached the Waterfall Cave, Link stopped and stared at the wooden spikes in the way. He closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he gasped.

"This is it. It has to be. I know my Loftwing is somewhere inside this cave," he said. Link ran forward, cut the spikes down, and we both entered the cave. Once we were completely inside the cave, we pulled out our swords. We started walking forward. I saw some Keese on the ceiling, and pointed to them. Link noticed them, and nodded. When we got close to the Keese, they swooped down at us. We slashed at them, and they were gone in seconds, leaving behind Rupees and a heart.

I let Link have the Rupees, and I got the heart. I walked forward, and touched it. When I did, it felt as if it was being shoved into my body. _"Huh, that felt weird and cool at the same time," _I thought. After the heart, I felt pumped up. Link and I walked through the cave, killing all the monsters. By the end of the cave, I wasn't hurt, but I was completely out of breath. I pointed to the patch of grass near the exit. "There should be... some Rupees... in there," I said between breaths. Link walked over to where I pointed, cut up the grass, and retrieved the Rupees in the hidden alcove. He handed me one of the red Rupees, and kept one for himself.

We walked out of the cave. I grabbed the hearts that were near the Bird Statue, and felt completely recharged. Link hadn't taken any damage at all, and didn't need any hearts. I walked forward and prayed at the Bird Statue. "Come on, Samuel. Let's get going," Link said. We started walking towards the right path. But, we heard someone call "Link!" and stopped to see who it was. We turned around to see Zelda flying in on her Loftwing. She landed, and ran up to Link.

"Hey, Link, I was hoping I'd find you here. I heard you'd gone searching for your bird around the waterfall, so I thought I'd fly around and help you look," Zelda said. Zelda then noticed me. "Oh, hello. Who are you? You don't seem familiar," she said. Link decided to tell her who I was instead of letting me introduce myself. "Zelda, this is Samuel Garfello. I just met him, and he offered to help me find my Loftwing. He seems like an alright guy," Link said. I grinned. "Samuel, this is Zelda, a good friend of mine," Link said.

I stared at Zelda for a second. "Zelda? Well, it's nice to meet you, Zelda," I said. Zelda seemed just as nice and beautiful as she had in the game, if not more. It really sucked I wouldn't be seeing much of her in the next couple weeks.

Speaking of why I wouldn't be seeing her, Zelda suddenly looked toward the clouds, as if she was hypnotized. "Huh? Who…Who's that? Who's calling for me?" she said. Link spoke up. "What's wrong, Zelda?" he asked. Zelda turned back to us. "Oh, sorry, boys. I got distracted for a moment. Let's go!" Zelda said.

"Yeah, let's see if we can find your Loftwing, Link," I said. The three of us walked down the path to look for said Loftwing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! Wow, it's already the third chapter? That was fast! Be sure to leave a review if you can! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Three: The name's Samuel**

Zelda, Link, and I walked down the path where Link's Loftwing was being held. We turned the corner, and Zelda gasped. "Look, there he is!" she said. We looked forward, and saw Link's Loftwing trapped behind a barricade of wooden boards. "Let's go get it out of there," I said. Link and I pulled out our swords, and ran forward. We cut at the ropes binding the boards until they fell down. When we were done, Link's Loftwing ran out of the cave and flapped its wings. Link walked up to his bird and patted him on the beak. He looked so relieved.

"Well, it's good to see you again," Link said. He turned to me and Zelda. "Thanks for all your help, you two. It doesn't seem like you did much, but you both helped me out more than you can imagine," Link said. Link's Loftwing took off and flew around the island. Link walked to the diving platform and stared at his bird with an expression of pure joy. I let him stare at his bird for a minute, then I spoke up. "Link, now that you've gotten your bird back, isn't there an important ceremony you have to go to?" I asked. Link turned around. "Yeah, let's go!" he said.

Zelda stared at the clouds again, and spoke to us. "Yeah, but before you do, I have to ask you two something. I…I heard this voice a few moments ago. Did one of you hear it too?" she asked. "No, Zelda. I didn't hear anything," Link said. Zelda looked at me desperately. "What about you, Samuel? Did you hear it?" Zelda asked. Of course I didn't hear anything, but I knew exactly what she was talking about. Just to be safe, I lied and said no.

Zelda turned away from us, and stared at the clouds again. "Well, it's been happening a lot lately. It's like someone is calling out to me," Zelda said. Then, she asked us the question. "Have you guys ever wondered what's beneath the clouds? Some say it's an empty, barren place, or even that there's nothing, but I have this feeling they're wrong," she said. "Some of Father's old texts talk about a place called the surface. The old tales describe a whole world down there, far more vast than Skyloft! But, no one has ever been down there, and our Loftwings won't fly through the cloud barrier. I can't help imagining the things that might be there. Someday, I want to see it for myself," she said.

Zelda suddenly gasped, coming to her senses. "Oh sorry, boys. We don't have time to talk. Let's get going," she said. Zelda turned to me. "Samuel, if you want, you can ride my Loftwing with me back to Skyloft," she offered. I smiled. "Okay, Zelda. Thanks!" I said. I don't know why she didn't suggest that I ride my own non-existent Loftwing, but I wasn't complaining. If I did, then there would be questions. And those were something I wasn't ready to answer.

The three of us dove off the platform, and Link and Zelda called their Loftwings. A few seconds later, the birds flew underneath us. Link dropped onto his Loftwing and Zelda dropped onto hers. I landed on Zelda's Loftwing with a bump that knocked the wind out of me. "Are you okay, Samuel?" she asked. I nodded. "I'm fine," I replied. Zelda's Loftwing decided to fly upward at a 90 degree angle, and I screamed. "Woah! This is awesome!" I shouted to Zelda, and she laughed. She turned to Link. "Hey, Link. Let's run your bird through the basics to make sure he's not hurt," she said. I didn't need to watch Link learn how to fly, so I just stared off into the sky, thinking. So far, everything was going amazing. It was awesome to fly around on Zelda's Loftwing. And, it felt like the fastest, most thrilling roller coaster ever.

"Well, that's a huge relief! I don't know about you, but your Loftwing looks like he's flying great! My father and everyone else are probably worried about your bird, so let's give them the good news!" Zelda said. Her Loftwing jerked forward with a burst of speed, and I grabbed onto the bird so I wouldn't fall off. We landed in Skyloft, and everyone got off their Loftwings. Zelda walked up to Link. "Your Loftwing really is amazing, especially considering everything he's been through. I'm going to fly back and tell Father what happened," she said. She ran away, dove off the platform, and flew away on her Loftwing.

I turned to Link. "Now what?" I asked. He looked around Skyloft. "Let's just hang around until the ceremony starts. I'm guessing you're not in it, are you?" Link replied. I was going to answer no, but at that moment, Groose walked up to us. "Well, well, if it isn't Link! Word around the plaza is you found that dumb bird of yours. That's great. And because you and your dumb bird can't tell time, all the warm-ups we did were for nothing. We've been waiting forever, and they delay the race for you? I don't get it," he said. "You're almost a man, yet you can't go anywhere without Zelda. I bet you can't even decide what to have for lunch on your own, huh?" he said. I knew that Zelda would be here in a minute, ready to chew Groose out.

However, I have always hated Groose. Despised him, you could say. The only time I didn't completely hate him was when he caught Zelda in the end of the game. And right now, I was pissed. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and spoke up to him. "Well, I bet you couldn't even put your clothes on the right way if you didn't have those two goons following you around every waking nanosecond. So, why don't you do me and Link a favor, and shut your legs? Bam!" I exclaimed. Groose didn't miss a beat. He walked straight up to me, and grabbed my shirt. "What the hell did you just say to me, you freaking pip-squeak?" he shouted in my face, fire in his eyes.

I hit Groose's hand away, pulled out my sword, and pointed it towards him. "I told you to shut your legs, you overdramatic, good-for-nothing, weird-haired freak! And if you don't, you'll answer to the other end of this blade when I stab you in the chest! NOW GO THE HELL AWAY!" I screamed. The color drained out of Groose's face, and he stared at me with malice. I knew he wanted to punch my lights out right then and there. Instead, he backed away from my sword. "Come on, guys! Let's leave Link and his boyfriend alone!" he said.

I snapped. I closed in on him, and pressed my sword into his neck threateningly. "The name's Samuel, Groose. Samuel Garfello. Learn to fear it. Or else. You've happened to catch me on a good day, and next time, you won't be so lucky," I said. I sheathed my sword and backed away from him, complete hatred all over my face. Groose and his two friends walked away scared out of their wits. I walked over to Link, who was astounded.

After the high wore off, I realized what I had just done. "For Din's sake, what the Hell did I just do?" I asked. Link looked at me, and smiled. "Um, what you just did was amazing, Samuel. I never would have guessed you as the aggressive type. Thanks for getting him off my back," Link said. I smiled as well. "It's no problem, Link. I always hated that idiot anyway," I said. At that moment, Zelda walked up to us, and spoke to Link. "OK, Father said he's going to start the Wing Ceremony in a few minutes, now that Link has found his bird. Did I miss anything?" she asked. "Not really," I said with a smirk on my face. Link and I both laughed.

We heard the bell ringing, signifying the beginning of the Ceremony. I gave my best wishes to Link, even though I knew he was going to win anyway. "Good luck, Link! I really hope that you two end up on top of that statue together," I said. We walked near the spot where the race would start. Link got in line, and I stood about fifteen yards away from everyone, so the teachers wouldn't notice me. I saw three Loftwings fly across the sky, each giving off a colored trail of smoke, one green, one red, and one blue.

Instructor Olwan began talking about the Ceremony, the rules, and the 25th anniversary of the academy. Even though I was about 35 yards away from him, I could still hear him perfectly, thanks to my new ears. "Also, I want to see good, clean flying. Anyone caught interfering with other riders will answer to me!" Olwan said. "That goes double for you, Groose!" Headmaster Gaepora added. I snickered.

Instructor Owlan then gave the starting signal. Link, Groose, and his two buddies ran and dove off the ledge. I guessed that it would be safe to talk with Zelda; everyone else was watching the ceremony. I walked up to her, and she noticed me. "Oh, hey, Samuel. Do you think Link will win the Ceremony?" she asked.

"Well, with all those pointers you gave him, he can't possibly lose!" I replied, stifling a chuckle. We watched Link fly his Loftwing around the sky, trying to get the Bird Statuette for the first time. Just as he was about to grab it, Groose shouted at Link. "Hey! Don't you know this is my day to get all the glory?" he said. Groose urged his Loftwing forward, and bumped Link out of the way. One of his annoying friends chimed in. "Yeah! Let's see how you fly with egg on your face!" he said. Groose's friends started throwing eggs at Link. Link was distracted by the eggs, but he eventually caught the golden Loftwing, and got the Bird Statuette.

"Yes!" Zelda and I exclaimed. "He did it! Yes! Go, Link!" Zelda cheered. She turned to me. "I'll see you later, Samuel! Right now, I've got to go see Link and complete the ceremony! Bye!" she said. She ran and dove off the platform. I looked at the spot where she had been a second before. "Goodbye, Zelda!" I said. After everyone was gone, I walked over to the edge of the diving platform and sat down. The fact that Zelda and I had become friends, even if for a little while, made it even worse to say goodbye to her. I didn't want to have her go through all the stuff that she had to do. But, I had to, or I might never make it back home. I looked up towards the sky. "Goodbye, Zelda. And good luck, Hylia," I said. Then, I stood up, and walked away from the diving platform, a tear running down my face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, readers! Well, it's time for the fourth chapter. And unfortunately, its short. Sorry. Also, I want to thank deadaleta for reviewing my fanfic! Thanks! So, without furher ado, here's Chapter Four!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. However, I own any and all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Four: You Couldn't Get Anything Past That Man**

After I stood up, I walked away from the diving platform and headed toward the Knight Academy. I had a tear running down my face. "It's okay, Samuel. You have to let things take their course, or you'll never get back home. Besides, you know that Zelda will be okay," I thought. I made myself calm down, and told myself not to worry. After a few minutes of walking, I reached the Statue of the Goddess. I took a quick peek inside. Link and Zelda were talking to each other about the Sailcloth. I arrived just in time to see Zelda push Link off the side of the statue. I gave a small chuckle.

I turned around, and headed back to the Knight Academy. I entered the Academy in the top floor, and I saw Headmaster Gaepora walking around. I tried to get past him, but he spotted me. "Excuse me, young man," he said. I looked up at him, and smiled. "Yes, sir?" I said, trying to sound like a student at the Academy. He stared at me for a few seconds, and spoke. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do seem to recall seeing you with Zelda and Link a few moments before the Wing Ceremony started. And, I don't recall ever seeing you before today. Would you care to explain that to me?" he asked. Wow, you couldn't get anything past that man. He saw right through me.

I looked back at Gaepora, and nodded. "Yes, I would, Headmaster Gaepora," I said, trying to be nice. He smiled sarcastically. "Just Gaepora will do, as you're not a student here. Come with me into my office, Mister…?" he started. "Samuel. Samuel Garfello," I replied. "Samuel," he finished.

We walked into Gaepora's office. As soon as we were safely inside, he shut his door, and locked it behind me. "Sit down, Samuel," Gaepora said. I did. He took a seat on the other side of his desk, and started to speak. "Well, it seems to me that both prophecies are coming to pass, as I knew they eventually would," he muttered. I looked confused. _Both_ prophecies? As far as I knew, there was only one prophecy that mattered: the prophecy of Link being a chosen hero of the Goddess Hylia.

Gaepora went on. "One, I'm sure, you already know. It is the prophecy of the Goddess's Chosen Hero," he said. I nodded. "Yes, I already know of that one. But, what is the second prophecy you mentioned?" I asked. Gaepora looked at me solemnly, and started to tell me the second prophecy. "The second prophecy tells of another hero falling from the sky. He would know of the Goddess's Chosen Hero, our people, and what is to come. He would be destined to help the Goddess's Chosen Hero complete his own destiny," he said.

I nodded, and Gaepora continued. "Although I already know what your full destiny is, Samuel, and what it is you will be required to do, I'm afraid I can't tell it to you, or you would go insane trying to stop it from happening," he said. I must have looked worried, because he spoke up rather quickly. "It's no use to worry about it now, Samuel. You will find out in due time. Now, is there anything at all you would like me to know? Anything at all?" he said. I honestly wanted to tell him about what was going to happen. But just like he couldn't tell me my destiny, I couldn't tell him Link or Zelda's. I looked out the window, thinking about what I should do.

Through the colored glass of Gaepora's office, I saw Link and Zelda flying their Loftwings around the sky. I figured they had about fifteen minutes until the tornado hit, so I could at least finish my conversation with Gaepora. Oh, Goddess, was I wrong. The black tornado suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and the sky turned dark. It charged toward Link and Zelda, and they were swept off their Loftwings.

"_Oh, crap! It can't be happening already. This is way too early!_" I thought. I turned to Gaepora, and started talking at a hundred miles an hour. "Gaepora, its Link and Zelda! They both just got thrown off their Loftwings by a huge tornado, and Zelda didn't come back up!" I exclaimed. Gaepora's jaw dropped. "WHAT?" he shouted. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?" he exclaimed. I looked hurt. "Yes I did, Gaepora. But, I had to let it happen, or everything will be messed up. Don't worry; as far as I know, Zelda and Link will be fine," I said. "Now, we need to save Link!" I said.

I jumped out of my seat, ran to Gaepora's door, unlocked it, and ran out of the Knight Academy. I ran to the nearest diving platform, with Gaepora following close behind. When we got there, we both stood and stared at the sky, waiting for something to happen. Link's Loftwing eventually came speeding towards us. It landed right next to Gaepora and I. I looked at the Loftwing to find an unconscious Link on its back.

Gaepora was shocked. "Oh, no. It can't be," he said. I turned to him, and calmed him down. "It's okay, Gaepora. Link is going to be fine; I can promise you that. I'll make sure Link gets back to his room safe and sound. You go and check on everyone else, and make sure they're okay," I said. The headmaster nodded, and ran away. Link's Loftwing flew away from me, and I was left alone. I heaved Link's body over my shoulder. Link was heavy to carry, but I made it back to the Knight Academy without any problems.

I carried Link's body over to his room, opened the door, and walked inside. I walked over to Link's bed, took him off of my shoulder, and laid him down. I sat down on the chair in his room and stared at him in silence. Occasionally, Link would mumble in his sleep. Words like "Zelda", "Mission", "Monster", and "Blue Figure" escaped his mouth. I sat there, waiting for something to happen. The sun eventually went down, covering us both in moonlight. After what seemed like forever, I heard a light knock at Link's door. "Come in," I called to whoever it was.

Gaepora walked inside the door, and I stood up. He looked relieved. "Well, Samuel. I'm glad that you got Link here safe and sound," he said. I smiled a little. "You're welcome, Gaepora. Is everyone else okay?" I asked. I didn't need any more surprises. Gaepora nodded. "Yes, everyone else is okay, Samuel. Don't worry," he said. "Now, we need to find you a place to stay. If you so desire, you can use Zelda's room for your stay here in Skyloft," he said.

I nodded. "Sure, I'll use it for now. Thanks, Gaepora," I said. Gaepora took a quick look at Link, and looked back at me. "You've had a long day, and you need rest as well. Now, head over to her room, and I will talk to you tomorrow," he said.

"See you later, Gaepora," I said, waving goodbye. I walked out of Link's room, and walked up the stairs. I proceeded down the hall until I came to Zelda's room on the left. I turned the knob, and the door opened. "_Gaepora must have unlocked it,"_ I thought. I opened Zelda's door completely, and walked into her room.

Zelda's room looked just like it had in the game. The room was a pink color, and there was a desk with a Tingle doll on it in the middle of the room. I noticed that there were a couple of unfinished Sailcloths on the desk as well. These looked exactly like the ones Link had, except the ones I was looking at didn't have a blue crest on them.

"_Maybe Zelda thought she would mess up a couple times, and stitched a bunch of them as a fail-safe,"_ I thought. I grabbed a blank Sailcloth off of the desk, folded it up, and put it in my Adventure pouch. I stood in Zelda's room, looking around. I decided to look at Zelda's journal entry from today, even though I'd already seen it at least three times before. I sat on Zelda's bed, waiting for something to happen.

After about twenty minutes, I heard Gaepora walking to his office, probably getting ready to take his nightly bath. After another five minutes of waiting, I started hearing a familiar voice. It sounded female, and robotic. I also heard footsteps coming from outside. I grabbed everything I had on me, and headed out of Zelda's room to meet Link and Fi.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, readers! Well, it's the fifth chapter. I really hope that you're all still enjoying this! Feel free to leave a review, good or bad!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Five: Recognition Complete, Masters…**

I walked out of Zelda's room, and saw Link chasing after Fi. Fi flew through the front door, and Link gasped. He then noticed I was standing in the hallway. "Samuel? Can you… can you see that thing that just went through the door?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, Link. I can see her. You're going to want to follow her, and I might as well," I said. Link stared at me for a second, and nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go after her," he replied.

Link and I walked through the front door of the Knight Academy to find Fi waiting for us. We followed her up the stairs to the Statue of the Goddess, and Link noticed there were bars on the entrance. "Now what?" he asked. "We go right," I replied, pointing in that direction. Fi glided that way to back up my statement.

We jumped down the path to the right. After jumping across a few platforms, we spotted a Remlit. I tried to warn Link about it, and spoke up. "Link, you're going to want to watch out for that," I said. Link looked at me funny, and laughed. "What, a Remlit? They're harmless, Samuel. I see them all the time during the day, and they don't do much except purr and look cute," Link said. He walked forward.

The Remlit stood up and suddenly turned around. It snarled at Link, and he was completely caught off guard. "Whoa!" he said. The Remlit jumped up at Link, but I ran forward. I managed to deflect the Remlit away from Link with my sword, and the Remilt was sent backwards a few feet. I sliced at it once more, just to make sure it was calmed down. Then, I turned to Link, and started to mock him. "Yeah, Link. Just so you know, Remlits are completely different at night," I said sarcastically.

After the Remlit was calmed down, Link and I continued to follow Fi. We climbed over a ledge and jumped over a gap, killing a Keese and a Chuchu along the way. Link and I reached a vine wall, and climbed it. Fi was waiting for us at the top of the wall. We stood up, and she glided away from us, heading toward the front of the statue. Link and I ran towards the front of the statue, following her. When we reached the front, Fi melted into the wall of the statue, and it disappeared, revealing a secret passage. I turned to Link. "Let's go inside," I said. I walked in, and Link followed me inside.

When we got inside the statue, Fi wasn't waiting for us. The Goddess Sword was, however. Link and I walked towards the blade. I turned to Link, and spoke to him. "You'll need that sword where you're going, Link. Go ahead and grab it," I said. Link walked forward, and Fi suddenly popped out of the Goddess Sword. Link gasped as Fi sank into a low bow. After a few seconds, she picked her head up and stared at Link and I calculatingly. Fi spoke in a voice that was robotic, yet human at the same time. "The ones chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you. You both will play a role in a great destiny," she said.

Link and I looked confused, so Fi went on. "According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal designation. Fi is the name I was given. I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memory of your people. I must aid you two in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry," she said. Fi looked directly at Link, and spoke to him.

"Come, Link. You must take up this sword. As one of the people chosen by my creator, it is your destiny," Fi said. Link still looked confused, and Fi went on. "The strange dreams troubling your sleep. My sudden appearance. Uncertainty surrounding the fate of one you hold dear. Under the circumstances, it is only logical that you would exhibit some apprehension," she said. Link now looked more confused than before. "To minimize your uncertainty, allow me to share some information. My projections indicate that this information has a high probability of altering your emotional state. The one you seek, honorable Zelda, is still alive," Fi said. Link gasped.

"And this spirit maiden… the one you call Zelda… is another chosen one fated to be a part of the same great mission. Therefore, should you wish to meet with your friend, I highly recommend you take up this sword before you set out to search for her," Fi said. Link now looked confident. "Does that information invigorate you? Are you ready to accept this sword?" Fi asked. Link nodded. "Of course I'm ready! If it means getting Zelda back, I'll gladly accept that sword!" he said. He ran forward, and Fi floated up above the sword. "It seems that further persuasive measures will not be required for you, Link," she said. She then turned to me. "Now, I have other measures to take care of. Samuel?" she asked. "Yes, Fi?" I replied, slightly shocked that I was even being addressed by her.

Fi looked right into my eyes. "You are aware that you are chosen to partake in this great destiny as well, are you not?" Fi asked. I nodded, and Fi continued to speak. "Then I calculate that it would be very advantageous to your position if you would also raise your own sword skyward when Link does. This will endow your blade with sacred power as well, and it will ensure that you are ready to take on the destiny ahead of you," she finished. I nodded, and Fi stared at us for a moment. "Then, in the name of my creator, draw the sword, Link, and both of you raise your blades skyward," she said.

Link walked up to the Goddess Sword, and I got on the other side of it. I pulled my Master Sword replica out of its sheath, and spoke to Link. "Hey, Link. Pull the sword out of the pedestal on three, okay? I really don't need to mess this up," I said. Link laughed at me. "Okay. On three," he replied. Link grabbed the hilt of the Goddess Sword, and started to count. "One," he started. "Two," I continued. There was a short pause. "Three!" we shouted.

Link pulled the Goddess Sword out of the pedestal, and we were bathed in a blinding white light. At the same time, we both raised our swords to the light. Link's sword was charged up with the holy light, but mine was completely covered by it. I was blinded by the light for a second, and looked away from my sword. When I looked back at it, it had completely changed. My sword was now exactly like Link's.

"Whoa! That was amazing!" I said. Fi stared at us for a few seconds, and spoke. "Recognition complete, Masters…Link, Samuel…My masters," she said. Link and I stared at our new swords, dumbfounded. Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind us. "Link! Samuel!" it said. I turned around to see Gaepora standing in the entrance. Link gasped. "Headmaster Gaepora!" he said. He tried to hide his sword behind his back so Gaepora couldn't see it, and I almost burst out laughing.

Gaepora started to speak. "Well, I've had my suspicions, but until now I wasn't sure. Yet here we are in the Chamber of the Sword, the very place it was foretold the youths of legend would one day appear. It is said that this place was left to our people by the Goddess herself. The knowledge of this room's very existence is a secret passed down to a select few each generation, along with a handful of words," he said. I guess he wanted our talk from before to remain secret, and acted like he didn't know what was going on.

He began to quote Hylia from the ancient texts. "When the light from the goddess's swords shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that youths, guided by my hand, shall reveal themselves in a place most sacred," he said. "It started days ago. The sword that I've kept secret all these years…It began to give off a faint, otherworldly light. At first I was sure I was seeing things, here alone with the sword. There was simply no other explanation. I never dreamed that the prophecies of legend would come to pass in my lifetime. But, the words I've sworn to keep secret are coming true before my very eyes," Gaepora said.

Once again, he began to quote. "The youths will be guided by one born of the blade—one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable," he said, referring to Fi. Fi spoke up. "Ah yes, the oral tradition, one of the least reliable methods of information retention and transmission. It appears that critical sections of the passage have been lost over the generations," she said.

She started to quote as well. "The youths who draw forth the guiding swords shall be known as the goddess's chosen heroes, and it is they who possess unbreakable spirits. They shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is their destiny. With the spirit of the blade at their sides, they shall soar over the clouds and plummet below…and united with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land," she said.

Link gasped, and I knew he was recalling what Zelda said yesterday about the surface. Fi spoke up, interrupting Link's thoughts. "Masters, you must embark on a great journey beneath the clouds to the vast realm of the surface. It is only through this journey that you can fulfill the mission set forth by my creator, the goddess. It is also the only method available for you to reunite with the spirit maiden, honorable Zelda," she said. Fi then turned to look at me. "It is also the only way for you to return to your own realm, Samuel," she said.

Gaepora looked at Link and I. "This is no easy task, boys. The world below is a forsaken place, and to reach it you must pierce the cloud barrier below. In living memory, no one has ever done this," he said. Fi stretched out her arm-type things, and the Emerald Tablet appeared. It floated over to Link. "This tablet will illuminate a path through the clouds to the land below. Take it and place it within the altar behind me," she said.

Link paused for a moment, and held the tablet in his hands. After a few seconds of silence, Fi spoke up. "Masters, the first thing you must do is hit the crest sitting in this room with a Skyward Strike. These blasts are formed of pure energy that charges in your blades when you lift them skyward. Once you have charged your blade, face the crest and swing your sword to send out a powerful Skyward Strike," she said. Link took the tablet in his hands, and walked up to the crest with me. I pulled out my new sword, and spoke to Link. "I'll do the Skyward Strike, Link. You can put the tablet in the altar when it's done," I said. Link nodded. However, he looked slightly hurt that he didn't get to do the Skyward Strike.

I turned away from Link, and faced the crest. I held my new sword up towards the sky, and a white light charged down it. I swung my sword, and an arc of light shot off it and hit the crest. As soon as the light made contact with the crest, the crest spun around and glowed blue. After a few seconds, an altar rose out of the ground. Link walked forward, and placed the Emerald Tablet in the altar. The jewel on the tablet glowed green, and I knew that the first column of light appeared outside, revealing our way to Faron Woods.

After Link put the tablet in the altar, Fi spoke up. "Masters Link and Samuel, it is done. Until now, a cloud barrier created by the goddess has separated the world you know from the one below. The tablet Link placed in the altar has opened a small rift in the barrier. You can now use it to travel through the clouds to the realm below. I have recognized you two as my masters, and so it is my duty to follow you both wherever you two may go. I reside within Link's sword and will accompany you in your travels. Summon me whenever you require my assistance," she said. Fi then turned into a ball of light, and went into Link's sword.

After Fi was gone, Gaepora walked up to us. "Link, Samuel, listen for a moment. The nature of the great apocalypse mentioned in the old texts is a complete mystery to me. But whatever it turns out to be, it seems that both you two and Zelda have big roles to play in the destiny of this land. Just think—if what this Fi says is true, Zelda is alive! Alive and no doubt coming to terms with whatever it is the goddess has in store for her. Should you two heed the call of destiny, I don't know what dangers you two may have to face. Especially down there…But if you've both decided to brave the unknown, please find my daughter and bring her back to me," he said.

He paused for a moment, and continued speaking. "What we've seen here today defies explanation, but it's only the start of your journey. Please, see it through and prove the legends true," he asked. Link looked Gaepora in the face. "It's so much," he replied. Gaepora frowned slightly. "Ah, I'm sorry, Link. I know it's a heavy load to shoulder, but you two are the only ones who can bear its weight," he said, including me in the statement. I would have rather said OK, but whatever. I could see how this was, in Link's eyes, too much. Deep down, I knew I would be thinking the same thing he was if I didn't already know how to do everything.

Gaepora looked outside the statue for a second, and turned back to us. "Dawn is dreading near. It has been a long night for all of us, hasn't it? You both have a great journey ahead of you, and those clothes…they don't look up to the task. The uniform you were to receive for winning the race should be ready by now, Link. A sturdy uniform like that will prove much more suitable for a long journey. I'll also see if I can get one for you, Samuel. You'd both better change before you go," he said. At his words, a smile crept up my face. _"Yes! This is going to be awesome," _I thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, readers! Guess what? This fanfic now has over 400 views from 200 different viewers! I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read this so far, and thanks to everyone who has PM'd or Reviewed. As always, remember to leave a review on your way out. Anyway, here's Chapter Six!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Six: This is Amazing**

"Man, these uniforms look awesome," I said. Link nodded. "Yeah, they do look nice," he replied. We were standing in Link's bedroom at the academy. We had just finished putting our new knight uniforms on. After the Statue of the Goddess events were over, Link and I walked back to the Knight Academy. We went to Link's bedroom, and waited around for a while. During our wait, the sun came up, and I realized that I hadn't slept at all last night. _"Great," _I thought. I was literally about to lay down on the floor and go to sleep when Gaepora walked in with two green knight uniforms.

Link and I changed into our new outfits, which consisted of a pointed cap, a tunic, a tan pair of pants, gauntlets, a chainmail vest, a belt, and new boots. After we were done changing, we strapped our swords onto our backs, and I put my Adventure Pouch on. Gaepora looked at us for a second, and spoke. "Those green uniforms are what our knights will be wearing this year. To be honest, I've had my doubts about the color. But oddly enough, seeing you wearing this uniform, Link, I can't imagine a more fitting color for you. It's as though you were born to wear it," he said.

I chuckled, and Gaepora must have mistaken it for a sarcastic cough, because he spoke again. "And it doesn't look bad on you either, Samuel," he said. I was about to correct him, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. Gaepora went on. "Take care on your journey, and be sure to stop by some of the shops at the bazaar here in town to equip yourselves properly for the travels ahead. I will return to my quarters and see if I can glean more useful information from the ancient texts. You both are welcome to stop by if you have any questions. You two and Zelda shall be in my prayers. May the goddess watch over and guide you all," he said. I almost chuckled again.

Gaepora left, and Link and I were alone. We stood there for a few moments, nobody speaking a word. Then, Link broke the silence. "Why did you laugh when Gaepora said that I was born to wear this color uniform?" he asked. I smiled. "Oh, nothing," I replied. Link shrugged it off. "Let's get going, then," he said. We walked out of his room, and Fledge immediately spotted us. "Link! Samuel!" he said. We walked up to Fledge, and he started to talk with Link. I didn't listen to their conversation. After a few moments, Fledge gave Link an Adventure Pouch, and told him the exact same thing he had told me yesterday.

After Fledge was done talking, Link thanked him, and we walked away. He eyed my Adventure pouch that I had gotten from Fledge yesterday. "How did you get one of those, Samuel?" he asked. I looked at Link. "I helped him with those barrels in the dining hall yesterday, and he gave it to me as thanks," I responded. Link looked slightly surprised. "Oh. I didn't even notice that he needed help," he said. We walked outside the Knight Academy, and headed for the Bazaar. But, Fi popped out of Link's sword as soon as we reached the top of the steps. She explained about the column of light, and recommended we should buy stuff at the Bazaar.

"_You know, for a highly intelligent servant of the goddess, you couldn't have just listened to the twenty other people who told us to do the exact same thing, and thought, 'Well, my masters already know to go to the Bazaar, so I don't need to remind them'?" _I thought. Fi looked slightly hurt, and I heard a familiar voice in my head. _"I was only reminding you in case you forgot. There was a 5% probability that you would have forgotten about it," _it said_._ I gasped. The voice I had heard belonged to Fi. _"Oh, goddess! You can read our minds?" _ I asked. After a moment, I heard a reply. _"Yes, I can, Master Samuel. The sensation you are experiencing is the method I will use to give you and Master Link information about enemies and other objects in battle. It will prove to be quite useful," _Fi said. Then, she disappeared into Link's sword.

I looked back at Link. "Come on, Link. Let's go to the Bazaar," I said. We walked into the Bazaar, and looked around. Link checked his pockets, and pulled out twenty-five Rupees. He frowned. "I wish I had more money. Usually I can find Rupees like it's nothing, but the only ones I've found lately is this blue one in my closet, and the one in the Waterfall Cave with you," he said. I snickered, and he asked if I could lend him some Rupees. "Go ahead," I said, hiding my laughter from him. I handed Link my Rupee pouch, and he walked up to Luv. She sold him a Heart Potion for 20 Rupees, complete with a free Empty Bottle.

"_You know, I wonder if she gives out a bottle to everyone. She probably does, just so they'll buy her potions more often," _I thought, thinking about Luv. Then, I heard Fi speak in my mind. "_How didn't you observe that before, Master Samuel? That is a plainly obvious fact," _she said. I was ticked off. _"Go bother Link for a moment, will you? Please?" _ I replied. I swear to the Goddesses I heard a giggle in my head.

After Link bought his potion, he walked over to Rupin. Rupin tried to sell Link a Wooden Shield for 50 Rupees, but I pulled him aside. Although I was willing to lend him the money, I knew it would save me more money in the long run if I told him to go see Instructor Olwan. So, I told him to do that, and that I would wait for him outside. Link looked at me confused, and left. I walked outside and sat on the bench near the entrance.

I started to think about my life back home. I wondered how Jack and my other friends were doing without me. I wondered how my parents were handling everything. My mother probably wasn't taking it well, but who would? I wondered what I was missing at school and hoped that I wouldn't miss anything important. But most of all, I thought about my journey ahead, and I prayed that I would make it through alive. I wondered what the complications that Sparrot mentioned were, but I dropped the thought when I saw Link heading back towards me.

Link walked over to the bench and sat down. He was holding a brand-new Wooden Shield. He had a puzzled look on his face. "How in Hylia's name did you do that?" he asked. I smiled at him. "A magician never reveals his secrets, Link," I responded. I always did magic tricks at school, and got some amazing reactions from my classmates. But, the look on Link's face topped them all.

I stood up, and looked towards the green column of light. "I think we've got everything we need, so let's get going," I said. Link nodded. "Let's go!" he said. We ran to the nearest diving platform, and stopped at the edge. "Are you ready?" Link asked. I replied with a nod, and suddenly remembered something: I didn't have a Loftwing. I turned to Link. "Link, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to need to ride your Loftwing with you," I said, thinking it would be no big deal.

Apparently it was, because Link had a skeptical tone when he replied. "Why? Is your Loftwing hurt? Is that why you had to ride Zelda's Loftwing yesterday?" he asked. I shook my head, and decided to tell the truth. "No. I, uh... actually don't have a Loftwing," I replied. As I expected, he looked at me funny. "How do you not have a Loftwing? Everyone in Skyloft has one," he said. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I decided to stall. "I'll tell you later," I replied.

Link was in deep thought for a second, but he shrugged it off. "Well, my Loftwing doesn't take kindly to strangers. If you ride with me, you're likely to get thrown off," Link said. I scoffed. "Great. Now what?" I muttered. I thought for a second, and decided to try something. I walked to the edge of the diving platform, and stood there for a second. Then, I took a deep breath, and gave my best whistle to the sky.

I stood there, waiting, watching, hoping, and praying. If this didn't work, I wouldn't be able to go on the adventure with Link. And if that happened, who knows what else might happen. I waited for a few moments, staring at the sky. Luckily, I soon saw a familiar blue Loftwing fly up and land on the platform in front of me. It stretched its wings, and cawed. I felt relieved. "Yes! It's Zelda's Loftwing! I guess it remembered me from yesterday," I said. "Maybe I can borrow him for our adventure; he looks like he doesn't mind me at all," I added.

Link looked at Zelda's Loftwing for a second. "Well, I guess Zelda wouldn't mind if you borrowed her Loftwing, and he does seem to like you. But, if you've never flown a Loftwing on your own before, you're going to need to learn how to fly one first, and it's not that easy," he said. I looked at Link, then at Zelda's Loftwing. _"How hard can it be?" _ I thought. I looked back at Link, and smiled. "Okay, Link. Teach me how to ride a Loftwing," I said.

The next hour of my life was filled with instructions, tips, and Dos & Don'ts on flying a Loftwing. Link showed me how to sit on the Loftwing so I wouldn't hurt it while it was flying. In my opinion, it was more like kneeling than sitting, but whatever. Link also showed me how to make it turn left and right, how to make it flap its wings to go higher, how to make it stop, and how to make it charge.

When Link was done explaining everything, I took a breath. "I think I've got everything, Link," I said. Link obviously didn't think I was ready yet. "Trust me Samuel, it's a lot harder when you're actually in the air," he responded. "But, don't worry if you fall off. I'm sure my Loftwing won't hate you enough not to catch you," he added with a smile.

I looked back at Zelda's Loftwing, and gave myself a quick pep talk. _"OK, Samuel. You can do this,"_ I thought. I turned to Link. "I'm ready," I said. Link nodded, and shooed Zelda's Loftwing away with his hand. It flew away from us, and I backed up a few steps. I took a deep breath. "Here I go. Wish me luck, Link," I said. I ran forward. When I got to the edge of the diving platform, I dove into the sky, and started falling.

I closed my eyes, feeling the wind whip past my body. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes, took a breath, and whistled. Zelda's Loftwing flew underneath me and caught me. I kneeled on it the way Link showed me, and grabbed a little harness near the neck of the Loftwing. I leaned to the left, and the Loftwing leaned left with me. I leaned back to the right, and it centered itself. I gave the harness a small shake, and it flapped its wings, sending me higher up. I pulled back slightly, and it stopped. I gave Zelda's Loftwing a small kick, and it charged forward with a sudden burst of speed. I was loving every second.

I looked back at Link. He had a look of surprise on his face. I took a hand off the harness and waved to him. "This is amazing, Link!" I shouted. Flying a Loftwing felt completely natural, and it was easy once I got the hang of it. I'll say one thing: it was certainly easier than driving a car. I've only driven a car once in my life, and I almost crashed it. If I had to choose between a Loftwing and a fast sports car, I'd choose the Loftwing 100% of the time.

I made Zelda's Loftwing fly back to Skyloft. When I was fifty feet above Link, I jumped off Zelda's Loftwing and started to fall. Just before I hit the ground, I pulled out my Sailcloth and floated to the ground. I landed in front of Link, folded up my Sailcloth, and put it in my pouch.

Link looked at me for a second, then grinned. "Wow, Samuel. For a first-time Loftwing flyer, that was really good," he said. "Are you sure?" I asked. He nodded. "The only other person that picked up flying that fast was… me, actually. I can't believe that you don't have a Loftwing. You look like you've been flying your whole life," he said. I looked up at the sky with a huge smile on my face. Flying Zelda's Loftwing was a complete blast. I couldn't believe how amazing it was. I looked at Link, and he seemed to recognize how I felt.

"I remember the first day I rode my Loftwing, and I was just as amazed as you are, Samuel. They really are amazing," he said. Link looked at the sky for a moment, and then back to me. "Well, now that you can safely fly a Loftwing, let's go rescue Zelda!" he said. I didn't wait for him to speak again. I ran to the edge of the platform, dove off, and whistled, calling Zelda's Loftwing. In a matter of seconds, Link was on his own Crimson Loftwing, right beside me. I looked Link right in the eye, and grinned. "Race you!" I said. I gave Zelda's Loftwing a small kick, and went speeding towards the green column of light, Link at my side.


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, guess what? It's Chapter Seven! Thanks to everyone who has ****read, reviewed, Favorited, or followed this fanfic so far! Remember to leave a review on the way out, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Seven: May the Goddesses Watch Over You**

Link and I eventually came to the green column of light. Link beat me there by about five seconds, and started to gloat. "Nice try, but you'll need to practice a little more if you want to beat me!" he said. After we arrived at the column of light, we sat on our Loftwings and stared at the hole in the clouds. "Ready, Link?" I asked. Link looked down at the hole again. "I'm ready," he replied. We jumped off our birds, and started to fall towards the surface.

We eventually passed the cloud barrier, and Link got his first glimpse of the surface. He had the same expression that I had when I first arrived in Skyloft: complete bewilderment. "Wow," he said. When we were about to hit the ground, we pulled out our Sailcloths and floated down to the surface.

After we landed on the ground, I turned to Link. "Well, Link, here we are. Welcome to the surface," I said. Link didn't speak for a moment. He stood there, taking it all in. After a moment, he stared back at me. "Let's get going," he said. I looked ahead. There were black gates in our way, so we had to take the long way around to get to the Sealed Temple. We walked forward, and I spotted a Deku-baba blocking our path.

"Here, Link. Do you see that monster in our way? That's called a Deku-baba. All you have to do to kill them is slash your sword in the right direction, and they'll die. Don't let it take you by surprise; use your shield if you have to. I'll kill this one to show you how it's done," I said. I stepped forward and pulled out my sword. The Deku-baba tried to snap at me, but I swung my sword at it. My blade went through the monster's mouth, and it was sliced in half, leaving behind a Rupee. I picked the Rupee up, and I told Link to try and kill the next one.

Link walked up to the next Deku-baba, and got out his sword. The monster snapped at him, and Link brought up his shield to block. The Deku-baba knocked against Link's shield, stunning itself. Link noticed the stem of the Deku-baba was vulnerable, and slashed at it. The Deku-baba was killed, and it dropped a Jelly Blob. Link walked over to it and picked it up. He had a slight look of disgust on his face. "What is this?" he asked. "That's a Jelly Blob. It may look gross, but you can use it to make things later, so keep it with you," I replied. Link put the blob in his pouch, and we continued walking forward.

We eventually made it to the door of the Sealed Temple. It was sealed shut, so we couldn't enter the temple yet. Link turned around, and suddenly noticed the pit where The Imprisoned was sealed. "What's over there?" he asked. Link didn't wait for an answer, and walked to the edge of the pit. I followed him, and looked over the edge. There was dark energy billowing off of the sealing spike below.

"Huh. I don't know," I replied, playing dumb. Link and I stared at the spike for a few seconds. Suddenly, a huge cloud of darkness came toward us, and I saw The Imprisoned coming out of the seal. Link suddenly disappeared from my side, and I was alone with the huge black monster.

I pulled out my sword, and tried to find the sealing spike on its head. But, The Imprisoned roared at my face, and my sword now felt like a wooden stick compared to the size of the monster before me. I tried to shield myself from The Imprisoned with my hands, but it came closer to me, and eventually swallowed me alive.

I opened my eyes. The Imprisoned was gone. I pulled my hands down, and looked over at Link. He was cowering in fear just like I was. Link eventually realized The Imprisoned wasn't going to eat him, and put his hands down. He looked back towards the pit. "W-what w-was that?" he asked. I shook my head. "I don't know," I replied, once again playing dumb. I couldn't tell Link that the thing in the pit was the main enemy of the game. I couldn't just look at him and say, "Well, Link, the thing in the pit is The Imprisoned. We'll have to fight him 3 times, and then a fourth time in his true form, Demise. But enough about that, let's go and search for Zelda some more."

Instead, I suggested that we should go to the center of the pit. Link looked at me like I was crazy. "WHAT? Shouldn't almost being eaten alive by a huge monster tell you that you _don't_ want to go near it?" he screamed. I ignored him, and started making my way to the bottom of the pit.

Link eventually started to follow me. When we made it down to the center of the pit, I heard a voice. "Young ones, children of destiny… Take aim at the evil aura with the goddess's swords," it said. I recognized that voice; it belonged to Impa. I listened to her words, and walked near the sealing spike. I took out my sword and charged a Skyward Strike. When it was fully charged, I swung my sword at the spike, and a wave of light permeated it. The dark energy surrounding the spike vanished.

I decided to do the sword maneuver Link always did after he beat The Imprisoned, even though I hadn't actually sealed it away. It still looked awesome. After my Skyward Strike, the air holes around the pit were activated, and a current of air started blowing out of each one. Fi came out of Link's sword and told us about dowsing, so I didn't listen to her. I already knew about dowsing, and knew perfectly well how to use it.

After Fi's lecture, Link and I turned around and headed towards the nearest air hole. I walked into the current of air, and took out my Sailcloth. The wind caught on my Sailcloth, and carried me up to the next level of the pit. I eventually got to the top of the pit, and was right near the door of the Sealed Temple. When Link got to the top of the pit, he pulled out his sword. He pointed it towards the door, and I could hear beeping coming off of his sword. I walked towards the door. _"It isn't as cool the hundredth time around, Link,"_ I thought. We opened the door, and walked inside the Sealed Temple.

The Sealed Temple looked just like it did in the game. It was basically a dark temple with a light shining through the ceiling. I saw Impa sitting inside the light, and walked up to her. Link followed me. When we reached Impa, she spoke to us. "Ahhh... the ones from the sky. I welcome you, children of fate. Tell me, what are your names?" she asked. "_As if you don't already know," _I thought.

Once again, I played dumb in front of Link. "I'm Samuel, and this is Link," I replied. Impa stared at us for a few moments. "Ah, good. I sense you have already gained control over the sacred power that fills your blade when pointed skyward. The Skyward Strike is yours to command. It is proof that you two are fit to bear the blades you carry, the Goddess Swords. I have sat here for many years waiting for you two to arrive. All so that I could fulfill my purpose as your guide," she said.

I looked around the Sealed Temple, and Impa explained where we were. She told us we had just missed Zelda, and that we should keep looking for her in Faron Woods. Of course, I knew we wouldn't even see Zelda until after Eldin Volcano, and she knew it as well. She and I knew everything that was going to happen. It seemed funny that the only person who didn't know was Link.

"_What a great help you are, now that you've done all the hard work, escorting Zelda through her own journey and telling her about who she really is," _I thought. Impa started to tell us about beacons, and I zoned out. I started to think. "_You know, maybe I can convince Link to leave me alone in the temple for a little bit. That way, I could have a nice chat with Impa," _I thought. Impa finished telling us about beacons, and she told us to grab the chest on our way out.

We walked over to the chest, and Link opened it. Inside were two Revitalizing Potions. But, more importantly, there were the bottles the potions came in. I told Link I would meet him outside in a few minutes. He looked slightly suspicious, but he walked out the side door. After Link was gone, I walked over to the left side of the temple.

I took out my Revitalizing Potion and drank it. I knew I just wasted it, because I only took a little damage from the Deku-babas outside, and my shield didn't have a dent in it. After I drank my potion, I started slashing at the pots in front of me. I eventually found the one with a Fairy in it, and took out my bottle. I swiped at the Fairy, and managed to encase it in the bottle. _"Yes!"_ I thought.

I felt relieved. I caught a Fairy! Now, if I died, the Fairy would bring me back to life, and restore some energy as well. I put the Fairy back into my pouch, and walked up to Impa. She looked at me for a second, and I spoke up. "Hello, Impa. It's been a while since you've seen me, hasn't it? What has it been, a couple thousand years?" I asked.

Impa smiled, and started to speak. "Indeed it has, Samuel. Of course, you already know who I am, and what I have already done. I helped Zelda get through this journey once, along with you and Link as well. But now, I have a different role to play. Even though you may grow tired of hearing this, I cannot tell you a thing about what is to come, or what you must do in order to help save the world. I cannot tell you who you must save and who you must defeat. It could ruin everything that I, you, Link, the Goddess Hylia, and Zelda have already done to protect this world. However, I can tell you this: keep an eye out for those complications in your journey you were always telling me about in my youth, and try your best to make the right choices. I will wait here and play my new role in this mission as best as I can. Go now, or Link will become even more suspicious than he already is. Zelda is currently making her way through Skyview Temple, although you won't see either of us until Eldin Volcano. I know you're going to see me a couple of times before the Temple of Time incident, but please don't speak to me about anything important until then, or it could change something. After the Temple of Time, you may talk to me in private about anything that concerns you. That is all you need to know for now. Goodbye, Samuel, and may the Goddesses watch over you," she said.

After Impa was done with her speech, I thought for a moment. Once again, someone had mentioned the "complications" that were supposedly going to make my journey harder than it was supposed to be. I began to realize that the complications must be pretty damn rough if everyone kept mentioning it. I tried to think about what the complications could be.

Would I have to make a sacrifice like Zelda? Would I have to put myself in a sleep that would last thousands of years? That didn't seem like that was it. Plus, that wouldn't be hard to do anyway. I knew it must be something else, something too obvious or too scary to grasp immediately. I just had to stop thinking about it so hard, and I knew I would find the answer.

I walked behind Impa, and took a peek through the crack in the wall behind her. I saw the huge orange crystal that housed Zelda's body in the middle of the room, but I didn't see anything new. I didn't see another crystal housing my body, and I didn't see my body in the crystal along with Zelda's. Impa looked at me, and smiled. "No, the complication of yours isn't that you will have to put yourself in a sleep like Zelda had thousands of years ago. You will have to find out what it is on your own," she said.

I smiled back at her. "I was just making sure," I said. I said goodbye to Impa, and walked out the side door to catch up with Link.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, readers! It's time for, you guessed it, Chapter Eight! Sorry that this chapter took longer to post, but I was caught up in Christmas for a while. I promise that the next chapter will be up in the next couple of days. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this fanfic so far. Please leave a review on this if you can! I want to hear what you guys think! Anyway, here's Chapter Eight!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Eight: You Stupid Monsters**

I walked out of the Sealed Temple, and ran over to Link. "What were you doing in there?" he asked. "Oh, nothing important. I just wanted to look around the place for a minute," I lied. "Um, okay," Link said. He obviously knew it was a lie. The good thing was that he didn't question what I was really doing, and we pressed on. We eventually came across a group of Bokoblins surrounding Gorko the Goron. They didn't notice us, so I decided to tell Link about them.

"Link, these are Bokoblins. Although Fi could tell you all of this in a better explanation, I'll tell you the basic things you need to know to beat these guys. Just make sure you don't swing your sword the way their clubs are facing, or they'll block your sword and try to hit you back. If everything goes bad, run away for a little bit. Now, let's go beat these guys to a pulp," I said. Link nodded, and we charged at the Bokoblins.

When the monsters finally noticed us, one was already dead, thanks to me. The others charged at us, and Link and I slashed right through them. We got blocked a couple times, but they didn't touch me at all, and they only got Link once. When they were all dead, we weren't hurt as much as we were out of breath. I turned to Link. "Good going, Link," I said. He smiled. "Yeah, you too," he replied. Gorko thanked us both, and started to tell us about Bird Statues on the surface. We walked up to the Bird Statue he was telling us about. The statue glowed brightly for a second, then dimmed, revealing a statue we could use to get back to Skyloft.

Gorko started to freak out. "WHOA! What in the world just happened? Did you use some kind of magic?" he asked. I laughed. "No, not really," I replied. Link and I said goodbye to Gorko, and walked out of the clearing. We came across a log and pushed it up against the wall. Then, we climbed it and walked into Faron Woods.

As soon as we got there, Fi popped out of Link's sword and told us where we were. She mentioned that it was extremely likely that Zelda was in the area. "Yes!" Link said. I felt really sorry for him, because if he thought that we would get Zelda and go home in one fell swoop, then he had another thing coming. Fi told us to use dowsing to look for her, and went back into Link's sword. Link and I looked down the only path we could go through at the moment. "I wonder where Zelda is? Do you think she could be down that path?" Link asked sarcastically. "Gee, I don't know, Link," I replied. We both laughed, and walked forward to a rope. Link swung across it, and I followed him.

We walked through some grass, careful to avoid the green mini-bombs. We cut down some small trees, and ran forward to another clearing. We spotted two Bokoblins surrounding Machi the Kikwi. Before we could sneak up on them, they spotted us and charged forward. We took out our swords, and slashed at the monsters. They were dead in seconds. After they were dead, Machi stood up. He spotted Link and I, and screamed. "Kwee-koo! Now there are green ones! I didn't even know they came in green! Don't hurt me, koo-weep!" he said. He ran away, and Fi popped out of Link's sword. She explained to Link what Kikwis were, and she also said that we should follow Machi into the woods.

Link and I ran up the slope, following Machi. We caught up to him, but he ran into the woods and hid behind a mushroom. I didn't want to terrorize the little guy, but I had to if we wanted to get any further. I walked up to the mushroom Machi was hiding behind, and Link followed me. I pulled out my sword, and struck the mushroom with it. Machi screamed and ran away to another mushroom.

I tried to find him again, but a Deku-baba sprang up in front of me. I pulled out my sword. "Get out of my way," I said, slashing it in half. Link caught up to me, and started to ask me questions. "What are we doing? Why do we need to follow that Kikwi?" he asked. I turned back to Link. "Because he'll help us out. Trust me, Link. I know what I'm doing," I replied. We walked to the tree Machi was hiding behind, and walked up to him.

When Machi saw us, he screamed and laid down again. He waited a few seconds. When he realized I wasn't going to eat him, he picked his head up to look at us. I got down to his eye level, and gave him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, little guy. We aren't going to hurt you," I said. "Y-y-you're not?" he asked. "No, of course we aren't," I replied. Machi stood up, and spoke to us.

"Okay then, kee-paleep! I'm Machi. I'm a Kikwi. You guys seem OK, even though you're scary. Thanks for helping me!" he said. I nodded, and stood up. "It's no problem," I said. Machi told us about how he had seen Zelda in trouble as she was passing through the woods, and how Zelda had escaped with the elder. I looked at Link. "See? I told you he would help us," I said. Link walked up to me and whispered in my ear.

"How do you know all these things before they happen?" he asked. I thought about it for a second. Now definitely wasn't the time to tell Link the truth, so I promised him I would explain later on. Fi popped out of Link's sword, and Machi cowered in fear again. "Masters, we have obtained new information on Zelda's status. This information indicates that she was assailed by monsters but somehow evaded capture. However, I infer that she is still in significant danger," Fi said. She told us to look for the Kikwi elder through dowsing, and went back into Link's sword.

Machi stood up after Fi was gone. "You really spooked me, kwee…You keep some strange company, friends," he said. Link and I walked away from him. I decided to give dowsing a try, and pulled out my sword. I knew that I had to think of Zelda if I wanted to find the elder, because the elder had been near Zelda recently, and the sword would pick up on that. I thought of Zelda for a few seconds. Then, I heard beeping coming off of my sword.

Link and I followed the dowsing trail up a slope. The slope had a Deku-baba on it, but I decided to pass on killing it. We reached the top of the slope, and continued forward. After killing another Bokoblin, we spotted some Octorocks hiding in bushes. I hated these things, simply because they were annoying. Link noticed the Octorocks as well, and asked me about them. As I was telling Link about them, one sprang up when I wasn't looking, and shot a rock at me.

"And if they shoot at you, you're going to want to—Ouch!" I said. I turned towards the Octorock, and it hid in its bush. I turned back to Link, and continued to explain. "You can't look at them directly, or they'll hide in their bush, and you won't be able to get to them. You have to trick them into firing at you, and then deflect the rock back at them, like this," I said.

I turned around to demonstrate. I waited a few seconds, and I eventually heard the Octorock come out of its bush. A second later, I heard it fire a rock at me. I spun around, took my sword out of its sheath, and slashed at the rock. It went flying back towards the Octorock, hitting and killing it. I turned back to Link. "See?" I said. He nodded. "Yeah, I see. It seems easy enough," he said.

I walked over to the waterfall, and picked up an Amber Relic. Then, I turned to Link. "Okay. Now, let's go find the elder," I said. Link nodded, and we walked up to Lake Floria. We killed some more monsters, and walked down a path to find a rope. We swung across it to find the Kikwi elder, Bucha, lying on the ground. When we got near him, he stood up and introduced himself. I told him that we found Machi, and he was glad to hear he was safe. Bucha also told us about how he had met Zelda, and about the missing Kikwis. "If you could calm my fears, I might be able to remember more about where the girl you seek went off to, kwee," he said.

Fi came out of Link's sword, and told us that she had added Kikwis as a dowsing target. After she was gone, I turned to Link. "Hey, Link. Let's split up for a little bit. That way, we'll find the Kikwis faster," I said. Link nodded. "Okay. I'll go off in one direction, and you go off in another," he said. I nodded, said goodbye to Link, and walked off to find a Kikwi. I pulled out my sword, and it started pointing me towards the easiest one to find, which was hiding behind a tree. I walked up to the Kikwi and said hello to it. It said that it couldn't believe the elder was right near him all this time. I smiled, and walked back in the direction of the elder. I made my way back to him, and crawled through an opening in the ground.

I walked over to a vine wall, and climbed it. There was a tightrope in front of me, so I walked across it. After I made it across the tightrope, I spotted a Bokoblin in a pit below me. It was all by itself. I grinned evilly, and jumped down into the clearing_. "Oh, man. This guy's gonna be dead before it knows what hit it," _I thought. The Bokoblin spotted me, and turned around. I then saw that it had a Monster Horn strapped in its belt, and facepalmed. I felt like a total idiot for forgetting about that.

The Bokoblin took out his horn and blew on it. Five more Bokoblins joined it within seconds, and I was surrounded. I've killed Bokoblins before, but I've never killed this many on my own; Link was always with me. However, now wasn't the time to think about the situation; the herd of Bokoblins was advancing toward me. I backed away from the monsters and raised my sword to the sky, charging a Skyward Strike. When my sword was charged, I swung it at the Bokoblins. And, guess what? It missed every single one of them!

I was trapped against a wall, and I hadn't killed any of the monsters. _"Great. This sucks,"_ I thought. I swung my sword at one of the Bokoblins, and I killed it. However, I was left wide open after that attack. Another one of the Bokoblins swung its club at me, grazing my shoulder. I gasped in pain. "Damn you, you stupid monsters!" I screamed. After that blow, I went all out, and ran through the monsters, killing one after another. Luckily, I only took that first hit, but it still hurt like hell. When all the Bokoblins were dead, I stopped for a second and caught my breath. After the adrenaline rush wore off, the pain in my shoulder intensified. My vision started to blur.

I looked at my shoulder, and thanked the Goddesses that the wound wasn't worse. It was still bleeding, and it still hurt badly, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. Plus, the Bokoblins dropped hearts after I beat them. After getting one, I felt the pain in my shoulder lessen, and my vision became clear. I got another, and the pain was almost gone. After I collected the rest of the hearts, I felt revived. I looked at my shoulder. My wound, miraculously, was completely healed.

"_Wow, those hearts do more than I thought,"_ I thought. I picked up the other goodies from the monsters, like Rupees. After I was done collecting, I heard a voice from above. "Kikwi!" it said. I looked up to see another Kikwi sitting on a branch high up in a tree. I don't know how it got up there, but it looked too scared to come down on its own.

"You fought off all those red guys. So does that mean that you're…a good guy?" it asked. I faked deep thought. "Hmm, I guess so," I replied. The Kikwi smiled. "Oh, good. See, I've got this problem. My legs have turned to jelly, and I can't get down. Think you could help, kwee?" it asked. I nodded. "Sure, I can help you," I said. I backed up a few inches, and started to run towards the tree. When I was a few feet away from the tree, the Kikwi suddenly realized what I was doing. "Wait a minute! Maybe there is another wa—" it said before I rolled into the tree. The impact from my roll knocked the Kikwi from the branch. I didn't have enough time to get up and catch it, and it landed on the ground face first.

The Kikwi stood up. "Ouch! That, uh…was effective," it said. I laughed. "Anyway, thanks to you I'm saved, kee-palep!" it said. I smiled. "It's no problem. And by the way, your elder said that he was worried about you," I said. The Kikwi looked surprised. "Really? Well, I'm glad to hear he's safe, kwee-koo. My name's Lopsa. If you see the elder, can you please tell him where I am?" it asked. I nodded. "Sure," I replied. Lopsa didn't have anything else to say to me, so I walked away from him and headed towards a vine. I heard Lopsa complaining about how his legs were still shaking, and I chuckled. I climbed the vine, and started swinging it back and forth. When I built up enough momentum, I jumped off the vine and landed on a higher piece of land.

I started to walk back towards Bucha. I found two of the Kikwis, and Link should have been able to find the third one on his own. When I got back to Bucha, Link was waiting for me. "Did you get the other Kikwis?" he asked. I nodded, and Bucha screamed with joy. "Kwee! So all my fellow Kikwis are well, and they want me to stop worrying? Aha, excellent! They know me too well. You two have a real talent for finding whatever is missing, kweee. I don't know who you two are or where you come from, but you both have my thanks. Kwee hee hee. I feel much less worried now! I believe I just remembered where that young lady went!" he said.

"Where did she say she was going?" Link asked. Bucha was in deep thought for a second. "That young girl…Zelda—was that her name? She said she had to travel to the temple deep within these woods, kweee. I tried to warn her about how dangerous it was there, but the clever little thing vaulted off my belly and ran off on her own just the same," he said. He then told us the way to get to the Skyview Temple. Link thanked him, and tried to leave.

However, Bucha stopped him. "I almost forgot!" he added. "As a reward for finding all my fellow Kikwis, I will give you both a precious Kikwi heirloom. Let me just fetch it for you right now, kweee. Pardon me a moment…" he said. He started to fall forward, and Link and I ran out of his way. Bucha did a belly flop on the ground, and the plant thing on his back opened. Inside were two Slingshots, one red and one blue.

I climbed onto Bucha and got the Slingshots, along with two bags of Deku Seeds. I got down off of Bucha, and handed Link the red slingshot. Bucha stood up and told us that we could now find a way into the Deep Woods where the temple was. Then, he told us to try and shoot the vine hanging from the tree. Link put a seed in his Slingshot, pulled it back, and fired. The seed hit the vine, and it dropped down to where we could swing on it. "Cool," Link said. We said goodbye to Bucha, and we made our way to the Viewing Platform.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, readers! It's Chapter Nine time! Once again, I want to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed this fanfic. *checks list of reviews* So, thank you to ThreadsToFeathers, MiaPia-Chan, EternalCacogen323, and deadaleta for reviewing. Thanks for showing interest in this story, and I hope that everyone else who reads this enjoys it as well. Feel free to leave a review if you like this story, and PM me if you have a question or anything like that. Bye!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Nine: That Was Completely Priceless**

Link and I walked over to the Viewing Platform. When we got there, I pulled out my Slingshot and placed a Deku Seed in it. I pulled the Slingshot back, aimed at the vine in front of me, and fired. The seed hit the vine, and the vine uncurled so that we could swing on it. Fi came out of Link's sword, and explained about quickly using items. After she returned to Link's sword, I swung myself over to the front of the Deep Woods. Link did the same, and we walked towards the entrance.

As we were about to walk into the tunnel, I turned around and saw Ghirahim standing on the Viewing Platform. I gasped, and Ghirahim noticed me. He snapped his fingers, and disappeared into a hundred diamonds. I turned away from the platform and kept walking towards the Deep Woods. The reason I gasped wasn't because Ghirahim was there; I knew he would be there. I gasped because I thought I saw someone else with him. But, I knew that was impossible, and dismissed the thought.

I really hate Ghirahim. He's the reason I'm in this mess, after all. I thought back to when I'd first met him. What was he even doing in my house, and how did he get there? I remember him saying he might have a use for me, but I don't remember anything else. I put all of those thoughts aside, and walked into the Deep Woods. When we arrived, I spotted a Bokoblin with a Monster Horn, and ran up to it with my sword raised. I slashed at the Bokoblin, but it had enough time to blow on its horn before it died. More Bokoblins appeared, and Link and I had to kill them as well.

After the Bokoblins were dead, I noticed there was a Deku Hornet nest in a nearby tree. I forgot to mention this, but I _hate_ bees in real life. I've hated them ever since I was little. Link must have noticed I looked slightly pale, because he turned to me. "What's wrong, Samuel?" he asked. I decided to tell him. It wasn't like I got chased by a swarm of bees or anything like that; it actually was funny once I thought about it. The story was I went on a train with my parents when I was three, and I saw a bee on the screen window. I didn't know that bees were harmful, so I reached out to the bee, and grabbed it. I bet you can guess what happened next. Like I said, it was pretty funny.

I knew Link wouldn't know what a train was, so I told him the story minus the train. He actually laughed at it, and so did I. Even though I knew the Deku Hornets weren't much of a threat, I was still slightly scared by them. Luckily, Link and I got past them without being noticed. We ran down a path on our right, and came to a tightrope. I pulled out my Slingshot, and aimed it at a Deku Hornet nest over the tightrope. I fired at the nest, and it was sent plummeting into the abyss below.

Link and I walked across the tightrope, and killed another Bokoblin. After the Bokoblin was dead, I noticed Gorko the Goron was standing above us. "Hey, Gorko!" I shouted. Gorko noticed us, and said he wanted to show us something important. Link and I made our way to where Gorko was, killing a Deku-baba and a Bokoblin along the way. We swung across a rope, and walked up to Gorko. He looked excited to see us. "I tell you, your timing could not have been better," he said.

He pointed to a nearby Goddess Cube, and explained to us about Hylia leaving them for her chosen heroes. "What do you guys say we try and crack the mystery of this cube together?" he asked. I nodded. "Sure!" I replied. He explained to us about the "light from a heavenly blade" that was supposed to activate the cube, and Link realized what it meant. He pulled out his sword and charged a Skyward Strike. When his blade was fully charged, he swung at the Goddess Cube, and the light from his Skyward Strike hit it. The Goddess Cube turned into a ball of purple light and rose into the sky.

Gorko was completely dumbfounded. He started speaking at a thousand miles an hour. "WHOOA! Did you guys see that?! The cube just shot up into the sky! I think it reacted to that whirly-beam thing that shot out of your sword. And where do you two think the cube shot off to, anyhow? This mystery just got a whole lot more, uh, mysterious!" he said. He said that if we found more Goddess Cubes, we should see him. Link and I said goodbye to Gorko, and headed towards Skyview Temple. I noticed another Goddess Cube along the way, and pulled out my sword. I charged a Skyward Strike, and hit the cube with it, sending the cube to the sky.

Link and I walked to the steps in front of the temple, and stood there for a second. While we were standing there, Fi popped out of Link's sword. "Masters Link and Samuel, I have detected Zelda's aura emanating from within this structure. However, I have also detected the presence of numerous monsters. Are you sure you want to proceed?" she asked. Link nodded. "Of course!" he replied. I agreed with him. In my opinion, we were definitely ready to go inside the temple. We didn't have to use any potions so far, and both of our shields were intact, even if they had a little damage on them. On top of everything else, I still had my Fairy if things went bad.

I knew we were missing out on a couple of Goddess Cube goodies in the sky, but we could get them after we were finished with the temple. I was ready, and wanted to just get the thing over with. We walked to the door of the temple. I pulled out my Slingshot, and fired at the red crystal switch above the door. The door opened, and I turned to Link. "Are you ready, Link?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go," he replied. I took a deep breath, and Link and I walked into Skyview Temple.

When we walked out of the tunnel, Fi came out of Link's sword. She told us about the numerous monsters inside the temple and how she wasn't able to locate Zelda. "Damn," I heard Link whisper. After her spiel, Fi went back into Link's sword. I walked forward, and started slashing at a mushroom for fun. The mushroom bounced around whenever my sword hit it; it was a good stress reliever.

After I was done messing around, I prayed at a Bird Statue, and Link and I walked to the right. We spotted a spider web blocking our path. Before we could start slashing at the web, a Keese came flying towards us. I slashed at it, and it died. Link and I started swinging at the web until it seemed we could pass through it. We walked through the web, and I felt something tug at my clothes, pulling me back. I looked at what was pulling me backward; sure enough, it was the spider web.

I started cursing at the web. "For Din's sake, you stupid spider web! Why can't you just let me pass without wasting my time making me shake myself free?" I screamed. These things were so freaking annoying. No matter how much you slashed at them, they always found a way to latch onto you, and you had to waste your time shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to free yourself. I eventually got free, and wiped all of the excess web off me. Link snickered.

I glared at him. "Lucky. You wouldn't be laughing if you had to do it all the time," I said. We walked forward, and cut some trees down. Two Keese came flying at us. "Get out of our way," I said, slicing them both in half. We came across another web, and started slashing at it until it looked like we could safely pass through. This time, I got through the web clean. Link didn't, however. He tried to free himself.

While Link was trying to escape the web, a Keese flew at him. I was too far away to kill it, and it got Link once before I could slice it in half. Link eventually escaped, and I laughed at him. "I hate to say I told you so, Link. But, I told you so," I said. We walked forward, and cut at some trees blocking a vine wall. I climbed up the wall, and killed a Deku-baba. Then, I hit the crystal switch in front of me.

The door to Link's left opened, and he lifted it up for us to walk through. We walked into a room with an eye in it. I pulled out my sword, and waved it around in a circle. The eye got confused and died, opening another door. We walked through it, and found the ground littered with green mini-bombs. I also saw two Deku-babas on the ceiling. I ran through the tunnel as fast as I could, and came out with two mini-bombs stuck to my feet. I got rid of them with a spin attack, and looked at the room we were in. There were a few doors leading to other pars of the temple, and there was a green Bokoblin standing in the middle of the room. I ran forward and slashed at it. It fell over, and I killed it with a Fatal Blow.

Link noticed a crystal switch on our right, and shot at it with his Slingshot. The door below the switch opened, and we walked through it. We found ourselves in a room with a Skulltula and another spider web. We miraculously got through the web unscathed, and ran up to the platform where the Skulltula was. Link was slightly disgusted. "What is that thing?" he asked. I waited to see if Fi would tell him what it was. When she didn't, I spoke up. "That's a Skulltula. They're basically giant spiders. You're going to need a way to flip them over and reveal their weak spot. Once you find the weak spot, stab at it until they die," I said.

Link nodded, and took a couple steps forward. The Skulltula dropped down, and Link charged a Skyward Strike. He fired at the Skulltula, and it spun around, revealing its weak spot. Link stabbed at the weak spot, and the Skulltula was knocked to the ground below. It wasn't dead yet, so I told Link I would finish it off for him. I jumped down to where the Skulltula was, and killed it with a Fatal Blow. I told Link I would meet him back up there in a minute, and climbed through a hole on my left. I came out of it, and shouted to Link. "Hey Link, I think I found something!" I said, acting like I didn't know what was in here. I saw a crystal switch, and was ready to shoot it with my Slingshot.

Then, I got an idea. I was going to pull a prank on Link, and trick him into thinking something horrible happened to me when I hit the switch. He would completely lose it, and I would get to see his reaction after I came out in the front of the room! I couldn't resist it. I pulled out my Slingshot, put a seed in it, and shouted to him. "Yeah! I think I see something important! One minute, let me just— " I said, cutting myself off. I fired at the switch, and gasped loudly. "LINK! HELP ME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The room started to flood with water. It eventually got up to the point where I could grab the vine wall to my left, so I swam over to the wall and climbed it. As I climbed the wall, I heard Link's voice. "Samuel? SAMUEL?! WHERE IN HYLIA'S NAME ARE YOU?" he screamed. I heard a splash outside the room, and knew Link must have dove into the water to try and rescue me. I almost burst out laughing. I knew Link wouldn't be going anywhere because he didn't have the Water Dragon's Scale, and he couldn't swim underwater yet. I told myself it would get even better if I remained silent, and continued to climb.

When I made it back to the front of the room, I looked to my left. I saw Link trying to swim to the hole in the ground. He didn't notice me at all. Link started to shout at the top of his voice. "SAMUEL! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, SAY SO, DAMN IT!" he screamed. I ran over to the platform where the Skulltula used to be, and called out to him. "I CAN HEAR YOU!" I screamed, making it sound like I was still trapped in the room. It worked, and Link started screaming again. "WHERE ARE YOU AT?" he said. I couldn't take it anymore. I fell to my knees, and started hitting the ground with my fist, laughing uncontrollably. Link noticed that. He turned around in the water to look at me. There was a look of complete shock on his face. "Y-y-you l-l-little b-bast-" he started to say, but my laughing cut off the rest of his sentence. Link swam over to a vine wall, climbed it, and ran over to me. I stood up, and stopped laughing. Link looked at me for a second, and slapped me across the face.

Link started to yell at me. "What in Hylia's name is wrong with you, Samuel? I thought you were drowning in there, or some huge monster was tearing you apart!" he shouted. I smiled, and started to apologize. "I'm sorry, Link, but that was too funny to pass up. Besides, we needed the water to rise anyway, so I thought I'd make some fun out of it," I said. Link obviously didn't think it was funny. "Well, don't do it again. That was too scary. I already lost Zelda, and I don't need to lose you as well," he said. I nodded, and held my right hand up in the air. "Okay, Link. I swear to the Goddess above that I won't do it again," I said. _"Because that was completely priceless," _I thought.

Link and I walked out of the room, and I immediately dove into the water. I swam around until I found another crystal switch, and I hit it with my sword, unlocking another door. I met up with Link back on solid ground. Once again, he had a look of surprise on his face. "You're never going to tell me how you know all these things, are you?" he asked. I shook my head. "I'll eventually tell you, but not now," I replied. Link and I walked over to the other side of the room, and walked through a door.

**Sorry to leave off in a random spot like this, guys. Next chapter will be up soon. Remember to leave a review! Bye!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, readers! Guess what? Did you guess Chapter Ten? If so, then you were right! But, you win nothing, sadly. In my opinion, this chapter is where everything starts to pick up. You'll know what I mean at the emd of this chapter. ;****) Thanks to EternalCacogen323 and Ynnealay for reviewing! Remember to leave a review on your way out, por favor.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Ten: Look Who It Is**

Link and I walked through the door. We were in a room with vines hanging from the ceiling, and Skulltulas were blocking the main path across the room. Link shot the vines with his Slingshot. They uncurled, and we swung across them. When we landed on the other side of the room, a Quadro Baba sprang up in front of me, and I killed it. We didn't worry about the Skulltulas yet, and walked out of the room. Sitting on a branch in front of us was a chest. Link walked forward and opened it. Inside the chest were two copies of the Dungeon Map. Fi explained to us about them, and went back into Link's sword.

Link and I walked back into the room we were in before, and I ran up to the first Skulltula. I slashed at the giant spider with my sword, knocked it over on its back, did a Fatal Blow, and killed it. Then, I pulled out my own Slingshot and shot at a crystal switch. Water flooded the room, and I told Link that we should go back to the room we were in before. We walked out of the room, and jumped down into the water. I swam over to a vine wall, and climbed back up onto solid ground. A few seconds later, Link joined me. I spotted another vine wall, and we climbed it as well. Link and I came to another door, and walked inside.

We were in another room with eyes in it. I walked over to the middle of the room, pulled out my sword, and held it up. The eyes opened, and followed my sword's movements. I spun my sword around in circles until the eyes got confused and died, revealing a chest. Link walked forward and opened the chest to get a small key. He put the key in his pouch, and we walked back to the room we were in before.

We made our way over to a locked door on the other side of the room. Link took the small key out of his pouch, put it in the lock, and turned it. The lock clattered to the ground, and we walked through the door. We were in a huge room containing lots of Rupees, enemies, and switches. I ran forward, pulled out my Slingshot, and fired at the crystal switch in front of me. The seed hit the switch, and the door below it was unlocked. I knew we were prepared to fight the Stalfos inside, and we walked inside the door.

As soon as we were inside the room, the door shut behind us. Bars covered it, preventing an exit. I stared at the pile of bones in the middle of the room, and watched as they rose off the ground, forming a Stalfos. Link and I pulled out our swords, and charged at the monster. We slashed at the skeleton, and managed to hit it a few times. After we landed a couple of hits on it, the Stalfos slashed its own swords at us. It managed to hit both of us in the chest and send us backward a few feet. I sat up, and felt a huge pain in my chest. I ignored the pain, stood up, and charged at the Stalfos. It held both of its swords up, trying to block my attack. However, I still managed to slash my sword in the right direction, dealing more damage. When the Stalfos tried to counterattack, I dodged both of its swords, and looked over at Link. He was back on his feet, ready to fight.

Link and I charged at the Stalfos again. We hit the monster a few more times, and it crumpled into a pile of bones, defeated. I caught my breath for a second, and looked around the room. The Stalfos dropped a couple of hearts, and there were more hearts around the room as well. I picked up some of the hearts, and so did Link. However, even with the hearts, I was still in pain from the first attack the Stalfos landed on us, and Link looked the same as I did. After the adrenaline rush wore off, I felt the pain in my chest intensify, and pulled my tunic away from my body. There was a huge gash on my chest, and it was still bleeding harshly. The cut wasn't deep, thanks to the hearts. But, it went across my whole chest. I quickly put my tunic back on before I passed out from the blood. Another thing I forgot to mention: I don't like the sight of blood. I can take the sight of a little blood, but I hate horror movie-type gashes where the stuff just comes oozing out. My green tunic started to become stained red, but the bleeding eventually stopped. Link and I were out of breath, and we were still in pain. We decided to sit down for a while and wait the injury off.

We were so worn out that we didn't even notice the chest appear in the middle of the room. I eventually noticed it, and stood up. I walked over to the chest, and opened it. Inside were two Beetles. One was green and gold and the other was blue and silver. The Beetles themselves were attached to a bracelet-like thing that I guessed was used to control it. The Beetle was one of my favorite items in Skyward Sword. It looked really cool, and it was used to solve a lot of puzzles in the game as well. I put the blue-silver Beetle on, and it started flapping its wings. I loved it.

Link noticed the new items, stood up, and walked over to me. "What are those?" he asked. I looked back at him, and smiled. "These are Beetles. You basically fly it around to make it hit switches and collect things for you," I said. I handed Link the green-gold Beetle, and he put it on. His Beetle started flapping its wings as well. We stood there in the middle of the room, admiring our new items. After a few seconds, Fi popped out of Link's sword and informed us about our new Beetles. "You have acquired new items. Analysis of these object's insect-like profiles and wings indicates they can fly. Tilt your arm to remotely pilot the devices. The sharp structure on the front of the devices can sever threads and deliver a blow to smaller objects. To launch the devices, hold out your arm to ready it for takeoff, then press the button on the devices," Fi said. She flew back into Link's sword.

I turned back to look at the door. It was still locked, so I turned to Link. "Link, we need to use these Beetles to find a way out of here. Let me see if I can get the door open," I said. Link nodded, and I held out my arm. I pressed a small button on the bracelet, and my Beetle flew away. I made it fly out of the room, and I turned my arm to the right. My Beetle disappeared out of sight. As soon as it did, I noticed a little projection come out of my bracelet. The projection showed a view of the Beetle flying in the air. It looked just like what you saw in the game. "Cool," I whispered. Now that I could see where the Beetle was going, I tilted my arm to the right some more, and piloted it over to a crystal switch. The Beetle smacked into the switch, and the door opened.

The Beetle flew back to my arm, landed on its bracelet, and stopped fluttering its wings. "That was freaking awesome," I said. I put the Beetle back in my pouch, and turned to leave. But, Link stopped me. He wanted to try out his Beetle before we left, so I let him. Link practiced flying his Beetle around the room until it ran out of juice. After Link was done, we walked out of the room. We ran over to a locked door, and I got out my Beetle. I flew it into the little cavern where the crystal switch was, and activated it. The door in front of us opened, and we walked through it. Link and I were in a room with a broken staircase. I told Link we should go into the next room, and he agreed with me. When we entered the next room, the door was immediately covered with bars.

We were in a room with three eyes in it. I knew what we had to do, so I told Link that I would go complete the puzzle, and that he should kill the Skulltula on the ceiling. Link started to attack the spider, and I climbed a plant wall to get onto higher ground. I ran over to a red crate hanging from the ceiling, and took out my Beetle. I aimed my Beetle at the thread holding the crate up, and let it go. When the Beetle cut the thread, the crate landed right in front of me. I walked over to the crate, and pushed it down to the ground. Then, I lowered myself onto the ground. Link had already killed the Skulltula, so I started to push the crate to the middle of the room. Link came over and helped me push it into the right spot.

When the crate was in the right spot, I stood on top of it and took out my sword. All three eyes noticed my sword, so I started waving it around in circles. The eyes got confused and died, opening a chest. Link walked forward and opened the chest that the eyes were guarding. Inside was a small key. After Link got the key, I jumped onto the ground. "Okay, Link. Let's go," I said. We walked out of the room, and were back in the room with the broken staircase. Link saw a crystal switch in the back of the room, and pulled out his Beetle. He guided it to the switch, and the room became flooded.

Link ran forward and jumped into the water. I followed him, and we swam to the other side of the room. When we got to the other side of the room, we killed a Skulltula, and slashed some trees out of the way. We climbed through a hole in the ground, and ended up back at the entrance to the room. We walked out the door, and were back in the main room of the temple. Link and I walked over to a tightrope. We saw a few Deku-babas on the ceiling, so we used our Beetles to kill them. After they were dead, we walked across the tightrope, opened the locked door, and went inside.

The door locked shut behind us as soon as we entered the room. We walked down the hallway, and cut down some wooden boards in our way. I saw a Staldra in the next room, and warned Link about it. "Link, that's a Staldra. They can't be destroyed easily. If you chop off only one or two of their heads, they'll regenerate. You need to kill all three heads at once to defeat it," I said. "Okay. That doesn't seem so hard," Link replied. I smiled. _"We'll see, Link,"_I thought. The only way you were really able to kill a Staldra was if you got lucky, and all of its heads lined up perfectly. We ran into the next room, and the Staldra spotted us. It charged at me, and I had to use my shield to block it. I tried to slash at all of its heads, but my sword only found two of them.

The Staldra backed up for a second, and two new heads grew on it. "Damn," I muttered. I turned to Link, and he decided to give it a go. He ran towards the Staldra, and got lucky. The three heads of the monster lined up perfectly, and Link killed the Staldra with a single slash. He turned to me. "See? That wasn't hard," he said. I was slightly jealous. "You actually got lucky. They almost never line up like that. But, it's dead now, so let's keep going," I replied. We walked through the door, and were in the final room of the temple.

Link and I walked forward, and I saw a Skulltula blocking our path. I took out my Beetle, and used it to cut the Skulltula's thread, sending it into the abyss below. Link jumped across the abyss, managing to grab hold of the ledge. He pulled himself up, and waited for me to jump. I took a step back, ran forward, and jumped. I grabbed the ledge with both hands, and started to pull myself up. However, the part of the ledge I was holding on to suddenly broke off, and I was holding onto nothing. I started to fall into the abyss. "Link!" I screamed, holding my hands out. Link reached forward, and grabbed my hands with a half-second to spare. He pulled me up onto the ledge, and I stood there for a second, breathing heavily.

I was completely stunned. I turned to Link and started to thank him. "T-thank you so much, Link. If you had been a half s-second late, I would be d-dead right now," I said. I sat down on the ground for a few seconds, not saying a word. Then, I literally started to cry_._I tried to hold it in for as long as I could, but this was too much. I wanted to go home, right now. I didn't ask for any of this to happen. I have beaten this game four times, and I couldn't even complete the first temple in real life without almost dying! I could buy as many potions and shields as I wanted. I could catch as many Fairies as I saw fit. But in the end, none of it mattered. I didn't have infinite lives. I had one, and I was trying my damnedest to make it last as long as I could. I could prepare myself for whatever I wanted, but it was amazing to think that a fluke like what just happened could end my life.

I sat there, crying and thinking. Link stood there, and eventually sat down next to me. He started to speak. "Hey, Samuel. Are you okay? Is there something you need to get off your chest?" he asked. I sat there with my head in my knees, and didn't respond to him. After a while, Link continued. "I remember last night when we got our swords in the Statue of the Goddess. Fi said something about you being from another realm, or something like that. I thought about that again when you said you didn't have a Loftwing, but I pushed it aside because it wasn't important," he said. "Let me tell you something. Life isn't easy or fair, in case you didn't know already. I lost my parents when I was little. Now, the only person I have left to care for is Zelda, which is why I'm even going on this quest right now. I don't know anything about your life, but it seems like you need a break from everything that's happening. I can tell. You miss your family and friends, and you want to see them again, right?" Link asked.

I picked my head up, stopped crying, and looked at Link. "Yeah, Link. I do. I'm just so upset. I miss my parents, and I miss my friends as well. Don't get me wrong, I've loved every minute of this journey so far. It's been amazing. But, I honestly want to see them again. I didn't ask for any of this to happen. I think I do need a break," I replied. Link seemed to understand. "It's okay, Samuel. If you need to stop and think about things, stay here for a little while. I mean, this hasn't exactly been easy, and you almost died a few minutes ago. I'll go and do whatever I can to get further in the temple, and when you feel like getting up, get up," Link said. Then, he stood up and walked away. I was left alone.

I thought about the situation some more, and I eventually came to the conclusion that it wouldn't do me any good to keep complaining. I had gotten everything I needed to get out of my system out, and I was ready to keep going. I stood up. _"Thank you, Link,"_I thought. His words had given me the strength to keep going. I walked over a tightrope, and stood in front of the boss door. I walked over to a Bird Statue and prayed at it. After my prayer, I looked over on the other side of the room. Link had just gotten the Golden Carving, and was making his way back to me. When he was safely on the ground, he walked over to me and held up the Golden Carving. "What am I supposed to do with this? Why couldn't there just be a huge key or something?" he asked. I laughed. "I honestly don't know, Link," I replied.

I helped Link find the right way to put the Golden Carving in the door. When we eventually found the right way, Link held the Golden Carving up to the lock. It floated out of his hand and flew into the opening in the door. The lock spun around a few times, and the door opened, revealing the way to the boss chamber. I knew Ghirahim was waiting inside, so I turned to Link. I was going to ask him if he was ready, but he did that for me. "Are you ready, Samuel?" Link asked. I nodded. "I'm ready as I'll ever be, Link," I replied. I took a deep breath, and we walked into the boss chamber together.

When Link and I got inside the boss chamber, the door shut behind us, and we were immediately blinded by a bright light. When it faded, Ghirahim stood there with his back turned to us. He was holding his black sword. I knew he was trying to break the seal on the door so he could get to Zelda. But at the moment, I honestly wasn't thinking about what Ghirahim was trying to do. I honestly didn't care if he managed to get through the door and attack Zelda. The only thing I honestly cared about was the person standing next to Ghirahim. He had pale white skin, white-blond hair, and was dressed the same way Ghirahim was. Even though he looked completely different, what really tipped me off were the boy's rounded ears.

I thought back to what Sparrot had said. _"This will not be the typical journey you have gone through before, that you shall soon see! The journey ahead shall be similar, sure, but there are some complications you will run into! The exact details, alas, are something I can't see clearly. But, be warned that this won't be an ordinary journey! Be sure of that!" _he had said. I thought back to what Gaepora had said as well_. "Although I already know what your full destiny is, Samuel, and what it is you will be required to do, I'm afraid I can't tell it to you, or you would go insane trying to stop it from happening," _he had said. Lastly, I thought about what Impa had said. _"I cannot tell you who you must save and who you must defeat. However, I can tell you this: keep an eye out for those complications in your journey you were always telling me about in my youth, and try your best to make the right choices," _she had said.

It all made sense now. I finally figured out what one of the complications was. I heard a voice, and snapped out of my thoughts. "Well, look who it is," Ghirahim said. He and the other boy turned around to face Link and I, and I got a clear view of the boy's face. There was no mistaking it. I couldn't deny it any longer. I was staring at the face of my friend, Jack Jensen.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, readers! Chapter Eleven is here! So, enjoy it…or perish! MUHWHAHAHAHA! Sorry if this chapter seemed late getting published, but I had midterms and other things at school, so I didn't have the time. :( Remember to leave a review if you can! Let me know what you like and don't like about this fic! As always, thanks to everyone who has R&R'd, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Eleven: Forced to Fight a Friend**

No. Just no. There was no way what I was seeing was real. I looked at Jack again. It was definitely him, but something seemed...different about him, other than his new look. "What did you do to my friend, you bastard?" I shouted at Ghirahim. He just stood there and laughed at me. "Me? I didn't do anything to Jack here. I met him right before I came to find you, Samuel. He was walking away from your house when I met him, and I realized that I could use him for my plan. He wasn't eager to join me at first, so I just…made him see things my way, you could say," Ghirahim said.

He laughed at me again, and Link spoke up. "Who are these people?" he asked. I looked at my friend and the Demon Lord again. I pointed to the latter. "That's Ghirahim. He's basically the craziest person ever," I said. I then pointed to Jack. "I don't know what he's doing here, but that's Jack Jensen. He's one of my friends from back in my realm," I said. I couldn't think of anything else to say to Link. I was too pissed off at Ghirahim to think straight.

I thought about what Ghirahim had just told me. It seemed he had another plan besides trying to resurrect Demise, or at least another way of doing it. And, it somehow involved Jack. I couldn't understand why he needed Jack so badly. Ghirahim must have read my thoughts, because he spoke up right after I thought that. "You know, Samuel, I don't necessarily need Jack at all. Why, if you would be willing to come with me, then I'll send him back to your realm, and he will forget everything that's happened. But, I'm afraid you would have to mean it," he said.

I thought about his offer. There had to be a way to get Jack out of this besides the offer Ghirahim just proposed to me. I looked at Jack again. I noticed that his eyes were glazed over, and knew for sure he was possessed. I thought for a second, and decided that maybe I could get through to him. "Jack! Can you hear me?" I shouted. Jack looked at me, and spoke in a voice that was his, but not his at the same time. "Yes, I can hear you, Samuel. Why don't you consider Ghirahim's offer again? Maybe it's the right choice. You would like to save me from all this, wouldn't you?" Jack said.

I heard his words, and I became desperate. I was honestly reconsidering my choice. I mean, I could save Jack from all of this right now. I actually felt the urge to go along with Ghirahim. I tried to take a step towards the pair, but Link held out his arm and stopped me. "What are you doing, Samuel? Don't listen to either of them. That's not your friend. Jack isn't here right now. He's just using Jack to try and get to you," Link said.

I was hit with a sudden realization. Link was right; Ghirahim was just using Jack to try and persuade me to comply with him, and it was working. Ghirahim wanted me, although I didn't know why. _"Probably to get me out of his way,"_ I thought. I took a step back, and pulled out my sword. "Give me back my friend, Ghirahim, or I swear to Din I'll kill you," I said. Ghirahim looked slightly saddened by my words. "Did you really just draw your sword? Oh well, Samuel. I tried to give you an easy way out, but I guess that isn't going to happen. Maybe you will reconsider after a little more…persuasion by your friend," he said. He turned to Jack. "Jack, I'm going to beat Link to within an inch of his life. While I'm doing that, why don't you try and help your friend reconsider his options?" he asked. "I will, Master Ghirahim," Jack responded. "Good," Ghirahim replied. He snapped his fingers, and a yellow wall of diamonds cut the room in half. Link and Ghirahim were on one side, and Jack and I were on the other.

Ghirahim's and Jack's capes suddenly disappeared off of their bodies, and they were left wearing white suits. Jack started to walk towards me, and I knew there was no going back now. I couldn't believe I was being forced to fight my friend. I knew I had to try and make Jack snap out of it, but I was ready to strike him if I absolutely had to. I knew Ghirahim always tried to grab your sword when you attacked him, so I assumed Jack would use the same strategy. When Jack was a few feet away from me, I ran forward with my sword raised to the left. He held out his hand, attempting to grab my sword.

When it looked like I was about to hit him, I faked Jack out and swung from the right instead. My sword made contact with his body, but it didn't seem to leave any damage. Jack still looked like he was in pain, but I knew it was a trick. I hit Jack with my sword a few times, and he jumped backwards about ten feet. I remembered about Fi, and decided to hear what she had to say. I looked at Jack, and thought about Fi for a second. Then, I heard a voice in my head. _"Target Lock: Jack Jensen. The life form you see before you is a human who has been possessed by an evil presence, presumably Ghirahim._ _Therefore, I__ calculate a 90% probability that he will possess the same fighting style, strengths and weaknesses as the Demon Lord," _Fi said.

"_Tell me more," _I thought, and Fi's voice continued. _"I sense you have a strong affliction for removing Jack from possession. I hypothesize that if you can deal enough damage to him, he will break free from his hold. When you tried to damage Jack before, I observed that your sword made no physical damage to his body. This is a result of the spell Jack has been placed under. The spell prevents 100% of physical damage to Jack's body. Instead, all damage dealt to Jack will cause the spell itself to weaken. However, Master Samuel, even if you do manage to break the spell, there is a 99% probability that Ghirahim would place Jack back under it as soon as he noticed he was free. This is all the information I have at this time," _Fi said.

Fi's voice disappeared from my head, and I looked back at Jack. He was getting closer to me. When Jack was about ten feet away from me, he suddenly stopped moving. His eyes seemed to regain their natural color, and he started looking around the room as if he had just realized he was there. "Huh? What…" he said. Then, he noticed me. "Samuel?" he asked. Just as I was about to answer him, Jack held his head and groaned in pain. "Samuel, help…" he said. Jack's eyes glazed over again, and he started to walk towards me again.

It looked like the possession spell was weakening already, so I decided that the only way I would get through to Jack was to beat him. I looked over at Link and Ghirahim, and it appeared that Link had just figured out Ghirahim's weakness. He ran up to Ghirahim, and tried to fake him out. However, Ghirahim still managed to grab Link's sword, and swiped it from him. "Hah, quite the sword you have here. But so long as you telegraph your attacks like the novice you are, you'll never land a blow," he said. Link ran around the room, helpless.

I turned away from their battle, and concentrated on my own. Jack was coming closer to me. I ran up to him, and tried to fake him out. I swung my sword at him, but he managed to grab it and pull it away from me. "Hah, quite the sword you have here," Jack said, imitating Ghirahim. However, instead of completing his phrase, he threw my sword at me right after that sentence. I tried to bring my shield up to block it, but I was caught off guard and didn't bring it up at the right time. Instead of my sword hitting my stomach, my shield met my sword in an upward motion. My sword spun around, and the hilt hit me in my face, knocking my off of my feet.

I felt that my nose was bleeding, but I didn't care. I got up, and ran for my sword. I managed to pick up my sword before Jack could get it, and was now three feet away from him. I ran forward, and slashed at him. After I landed a few more hits on Jack, he jumped away from me. Jack snapped his fingers, and a black sword appeared in the air. He reached forward to grab it. However, before he could, I saw Jack's eyes regain focus, and the sword clattered to the ground.

Jack looked at me like he knew he didn't have enough time to explain everything. "Oh, crap! Samuel! I guess I don't have time to talk right now, but let me tell you everything I can before something else happens," he said. He pointed to Ghirahim. "That freak on the other side of the room abducted me right after you slammed the door in my face. I started to walk home, but Ghirahim came up to me and asked me if I would help him with something. I didn't know who he was, and tried to run away," Jack started. Then, his eyes glazed over, and he picked up his sword. He started to run towards me.

When Jack was about a foot away, he pulled back his sword and charged a strike at me. However, before he could complete his attack, his eyes shifted back to normal. He gasped, and threw his sword across the room. Then, he turned back to me. "Anyway, he teleported me to some weird place where the ground was made of water. He held me there for, what was it, about 2 months? How long has it been since you last saw me?" he asked. I stared at him in shock. "It's only been two days, Jack," I replied. "WHAT?" he screamed.

I could have kicked him for screaming. Ghirahim immediately noticed Jack, and snapped his fingers. Jack flinched in pain, and his eyes glazed over again. Jack noticed he didn't have a sword, and he held out his hand. His black sword rose off the ground and flew straight into it. I noticed how close Jack was to me, but it was too late. He lunged at me, and I had to hold out my shield to block his attack. Jack's sword made contact with my shield, and I felt it break. _"Crap. Isn't Fi supposed to warn me about my shield breaking?" _I thought. I glanced over at Link, and his sword was glowing blue, which must have meant he was using Fi for information. She wouldn't notice my problems until she was done with Link.

Jack stepped back after his attack to catch his breath. So, I ran forward, and managed to get a few more hits on him. Jack jumped backwards, and suddenly looked behind him. He held out his fist, and punched at the air. _"What's up with him?" _I thought. After that, Jack started running towards me. When he was within striking distance, I started swinging my sword around, not caring which direction it was going. I knew Jack wouldn't try and grab my sword now, because he was in his second phase of the fight. I kept swinging at Jack until I landed another five or six hits on him. He sank to his knees, and looked upwards. "I swear I'll be back," he said. His eyes turned back to normal, and the wall separating Jack and I from Link and Ghirahim disappeared, even though Link's fight was still going on.

Jack looked at me, and started to apologize. "Sorry about that, Samuel. I was just shocked by what you said about it only being two days. Anyway, Ghirahim said that if I would help him, he would let me go home. I still didn't know where I was, and I didn't know what his true intentions were, or I would have never agreed. So, during those two months, Ghirahim taught me everything I would need for his plan. He taught me about the Goddesses Din, Farore, Nayru, and Hylia, the Triforce, and Zelda's true identity. He taught me how to fight with a sword, and taught me some magic to go along with it. As time passed-or didn't pass, I guess you could say- he told me why I was there, and what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to help him capture Zelda and kill you and Link. But, just before Ghirahim was ready to take me with him to capture Zelda, I tried to use my new magic to escape. When he realized I couldn't be trusted, he put a spell on me, which is why I've been trying to kill you, in case you haven't guessed. That's basically all that happened so far," he said.

Jack stood up, and faced Ghirahim. "Now, before he realizes I'm free, let's go finish him off," he said. I nodded. Even though I would have rather found out more about Jack's journey, I knew we had a job to do. Besides, now that Jack was free, we had all of the time in the world. We picked up our swords, and charged at Ghirahim, where Link was about to deliver the final blow. Instead of one person hitting him, Ghirahim had three swords slash at him in the chest, one from me, one from Link, and one form Jack. Ghirahim fell to his knees, and teleported to the middle of the room.

When he reappeared, he spoke to Link. "Well… you put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible out of such a soft boy," he said. He then spoke to all three of us. "But, don't clap for yourselves quite yet," he said. Ghirahim looked at the door leading to Skyview Spring. "I fear I spent far too long teasing and toying with you. The girl's presence has all but faded from this place," he said. He turned back to Jack. "And don't think you're out of the woods yet, Jack! I do believe that I have been lacking in my attempts to keep you under control. But, don't worry. After today, you'll never have a free will again!" he shouted.

Ghirahim snapped his fingers. I saw Jack rise up in the air and float towards Ghirahim. Jack started freaking out. "NO! For the Goddess's sake, let me go, damn it!" he shouted. I saw balls of dark energy form in Jack's hands. They flew towards Ghirahim at about a hundred miles an hour, but he swatted them away as if they were pesky mosquitoes. Ghirahim looked up at Jack. "Hah! You'll need to practice more if you ever hope to overcome me, little boy. I might have taught you some neat little tricks, but you're powerless against me!" he roared, complete hatred in his voice.

"I honestly thought I could trust you, Jack. I thought all the time that I spent training you was enough to completely abolish any thought of escape, so I decided to teach you the skills you would need to help me carry out my plans. I now see that thinking you would ever be truly loyal to me was a grave mistake. I honestly hope you've enjoyed your little reunion with your friend, Jack. Because I'm afraid you won't be seeing him for a long, long time. At least, not in your current state of mind!" he said.

Jack turned to me. He looked too weak to fight back. "Samuel, I'm so sorry," was all he could say. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and Jack screamed in pain. He opened his eyes. They were now glazed over, and I knew he was gone, at least for now.

Jack floated to the ground next to Ghirahim, and stood back up. He looked at Ghirahim, and spoke to him. "I'm sorry, Master. I will not leave you in the future," Jack said. "Good," Ghirahim replied. Jack turned to me, and I swear I could see regular Jack trying to break free from behind possessed Jack's eyes. "Good-bye, Samuel," he said.

Jack's sword reappeared in his hand. He and Ghirahim swept their swords in a circle, and they both vanished. I looked at the spot where they had stood. I couldn't believe my friend was gone. I stood there, waiting for something to happen. After a few moments, a bright light flashed in the middle of the room, and a Heart Container floated down from the ceiling.

Link and I walked forward. "Well, at least something good came out of this whole mess. That's a Heart Container, Link. They completely heal your life energy and increase your maximum energy to boot," I said. Link looked at it. "Go ahead, Samuel. There's only one, so you take it. After that whole mess with your friend, you deserve it," Link said. I shook my head. "No way, Link. You need it more than I do," I replied. I realized we were at an impasse. Neither of us wanted it, and insisted the other person should have it. I thought for a second, and I had an idea.

"Let's both touch it at the same time, and see what happens," I said. Link seemed to like that idea. "Okay," he said. We walked over to the Heart Container, and each held a hand over it. I started to count. "1…2…3…Now!" I said. Link and I touched the Heart Container at the same time, and I knew I made the right choice. I was filled with more energy than I ever had before, and so was Link, by the looks of it.

I felt completely pumped up after we got the Heart Container. I was ready to continue, and didn't care what we had to do next. I felt like I could have done five Horde Battles in a row. "Come on, Link. Let's go," I said. We ran to the door leading out of the temple. It vanished mysteriously, revealing a staircase. We walked up the stairs, and found ourselves in Skyview Spring.

**Remember to leave a review! Also, I have something different planned for the next couple of chapters. If you're interested in what happens to Jack, then consider yourself lucky. The next two chapters will be from his point of view, and tell his story up until slightly after this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it! Bye! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter 12, which will be told from Jack's point of view. And, so will the next one. It will start during the first chapter, and will end after Jack tries to escape. I really hope you guys enjoy it! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. Also, I don't own Call of Duty. *checks internet* Activision does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter 12: Stockholm Syndrome**

(Jack's POV)

I looked Samuel right in the face. He was obviously getting pissed at me. "Right now, I'm busy. I'm busy saving Hyrule from Demise and Ghirahim!" he shouted. He kicked my foot out of the door, and slammed the door in my face. I stood there for a second. "Whatever, man. Stick to your stupid Zelda games. I'll be playing Call of Duty if you need me," I said. I turned around, and walked down the steps leading away from Samuel's house. As I was about to cross into his driveway, I noticed a figure blocking my path.

The strange thing about this guy was that…actually, there were a lot of strange things about him. His skin was pale white, for one thing. I guess he spent more time inside than any of my friends, including Samuel, ever did. He had purple eyeliner on. That's right, _purple eyeliner._ "_Gay much?" _ I thought. There were at least three other things that were screaming "run the Hell away" at me. He had pointed ears, which I knew were obviously fake. I had seen the ears that Samuel had in his Zelda costume (the guy with the green hat is Zelda, right?), and these almost seemed to be real. _"If you're going to dress up like a complete freak, you might as well pull out all the stops," _I thought.

The stranger carried a black sword with him, which was another reason to run. He was dressed in a white suit and red cape, which surprisingly was the most normal thing I had seen so far. He had an aura of danger around him, like he was ready to start killing people at any moment, and would make it last as long as he wanted. _"Don't mess with me, and I won't have to stab you. A million times," _he was basically saying.

All of this flashed through my mind in less than five seconds as I got my first look at the stranger. I decided to speak up to him. "You know, Halloween isn't for a couple of days," I said. The stranger ignored my comment. He stared at me for a few moments, as if analyzing me. "You know, I could use someone like you. After a few months of training, who knows? You might be ready to help carry out my plan by then," he muttered, although I could still hear him. He then spoke directly to me. "Would you mind helping me with something, human?" he asked. I stood there for a second. "_What is wrong with this lunatic? Why did he just call me human? He said it like he wasn't one himself," _I thought.

After I didn't respond, he pulled his sword from his belt, and pointed it at me. "It's not as though I'm giving you a choice, you know," he said, thrusting his sword at me threateningly. Only one thought formed in my mind. Run. _Now._

I knew I couldn't run back to my house, so I turned around and ran back up the steps to Samuel's house. When I got to his door, I turned the knob, but it didn't open. _"Shit. Samuel locked it," _I thought. I started pounding on the door, trying to get Samuel to open up. But, it was too late. The stranger was somehow directly behind me, even though he was about thirty feet away a second ago. He bent down, and whispered into my ear. "Don't worry, human. You might even enjoy yourself in the next few months, assuming you're willing to cooperate. And if you aren't, then you can kiss yourself goodbye," he said. He snapped his fingers, and I knew no more.

Day 1

When I woke up, I noticed the ground I was laying in was wet. However, I was looking up at a blue sky, and it wasn't storming. I stood up, and checked out my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was that the ground seemed to be made of…water. That's right, water. After getting over that fact, I looked around some more. The strange place I was in seemed to have no end. It was nothing but clouds and water as far as the eye could see. I looked down at the water again to see my reflection. I was wearing the same thing the guy from Samuel's driveway wore: an elegant white suit, and a red cape. Other than that, I was the same. I didn't know where to go, so I ran straight ahead, and called for help. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" I shouted.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a familiar voice. "Yes, human. I can hear you," it said. I turned around to see who it was. It was the guy from Samuel's driveway. I wasn't exactly happy to see him, but maybe he could tell me where I was. "You know, I have a name. It's Jack Jensen. And, where the hell am I?" I said. The stranger chuckled softly. "Oh, do forgive me. I am being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ghirahim," he said.

Ghirahim. Why did that name sound so familiar? I've never seen this guy before today, and yet I swear I've heard that name before. "Now, Jack," Ghirahim said, interrupting my thoughts. "I have a huge task ahead of me. You're going to help me with it, whether you like it or not. I'm afraid you won't be seeing anyone but me until I'm sure you're prepared. And don't even think about running away, because you have nowhere to go. I will return in the morning, Jack, and that is when your training will start. For now, I will permit you to rest," he said.

Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and a bed appeared between us. Then, he took out his sword, waved it in a circle, and vanished. I walked over to the bed, laid down, and thought about the situation. It seemed like I had no way out of this. I decided that I would go along with whatever this psychopath had planned. Hopefully, I would make it through this alive. After that thought, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Day 7 - One Week In

"No, the goddess of wisdom is Nayru, not Farore," Ghirahim replied. I was sitting in my desk Ghirahim had conjured up for me, and Ghirahim was testing me on what I had learned in the past week. So far, it wasn't exactly horrible. Here was my day in a nutshell, in case you want to know. Wake up. Eat breakfast. History/Religion lecture. Eat lunch. Battle Techniques. Magic. 30 minute break. More History and Religon lectures. Ghirahim leaves. Eat dinner. Wait around. Fall asleep.

So far, it had been like school. The only thing that was different was what I was learning. For example, I learned about some religion that involved four Goddesses, instead of one God. There were three Goddesses in the beginning: Din, Farore, and Nayru. They had supposedly created everything there was, then left for the heavens. When they left, they left behind three golden triangles called the Triforce as a symbol of their power. Many years passed, and there was this huge war. The evil side lost, and a new Goddess, Hylia, sent a chunk of rock to the sky with everyone on it to save them from the evil people. That's basically all I remembered off the top of my head.

Ghirahim continued with his quiz, snapping me out of my thoughts. "What is the piece of the Triforce that is on top called?" he asked. I thought for a second. "The Triforce of…Power," I replied. Ghirahim gave a small nod. "Good. That's the last question for now. Go ahead and enjoy your lunch. I will return later," he said. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and a lunch tray appeared. He vanished, and I tucked into my lunch. I actually was beginning to enjoy the lectures Ghirahim gave me. All in all, it was almost fun. Almost. I laughed at myself. _"Stockholm Syndrome," _I thought.

Day 28- Four Weeks In

"Again!" Ghirahim shouted. He conjured up another Lizalfos. I ran at it and slashed my sword at it a couple of times. The Lizalfos tried to swipe its tail at me, but I brought up my shield to block. It was stunned, and I did a spin attack to kill it. Ghirahim stared at me. "Good. Again!" he shouted. Another Lizalfos appeared, and I groaned. _"For the Goddess's sake, can't you let me rest already? This is like the fiftieth one!" _I thought. Great. Now I was actually starting to believe in that religion.

I killed the new Lizalfos, and it seemed Ghirahim was finally done torturing me with endless monsters. I looked myself over. "_Not too shabby," _I thought. I had a couple of scratches on my chest and arms, but nothing a little Heart Potion couldn't handle. Ghirahim would always give me a bottle of that stuff with my dinner if I had been injured during battle practice. I loved the stuff, even if it tasted a little funny.

"Alright. On to magic," Ghirahim said. I smiled. Magic was my favorite part of the day. I tried to impress Ghirahim by making my battle armor disappear. I snapped my fingers, and my sword and shield were gone. I snapped them again, and my outfit was changed into the white suit I always wore when I wasn't battling. Ghirahim seemed impressed. "Alright. I can already see you've mastered that spell, Jack. Now, onto today's lesson: the teleportation spell. You'll need your sword for this, so bring it back," Ghirahim said. I snapped my fingers, and my sword was back in my hand.

"The teleportation spell isn't that much different than the vanishing spell you just used to make your sword and shield disappear a moment ago. All that you must do is wave your sword in a circle, think of the place you wish to go, and concentrate. Watch me," Ghirahim said. He waved his sword in a circle, and vanished. I stared at the spot where he was a second ago. After a second, I heard a voice in my ear.

"And that's all there is to it. Now, let's see how you fare," it said. I turned around and tried to slash my sword at whoever was behind me. Ghirahim responded, and jumped backwards about twenty feet. He laughed at me. "Oh, did I scare you?" he asked mockingly. I looked back at him, and smiled. "No. Just startled actually," I replied. I turned away from Ghirahim. _"Yep. Stockholm Syndrome," _I thought.

Day 49- Seven Weeks In

Over the next few weeks, I became skilled in swordplay, magic, and was honestly beginning to like Ghirahim. During one lesson, I actually got a 100% on one of Ghirahim's quizzes. I usually didn't get amazing grades in school, so I felt proud with myself. I could tell you the names of the Goddesses, and what they were the Goddesses of. I could tell you anything you wanted about that religion at all, from Din to Demise, and anything else in between. I could teleport, vanish objects, summon things at will, and shoot dark energy out of my hands. I also had learned how to actually grab someone's sword mid-swing without hurting myself. I felt a sense of accomplishment in knowing I had done well.

Ghirahim spoke up to me. "Well, now. It seems you're finally ready to start learning why all this religion and history matters, Jack, as well as everything else I have taught you," Ghirahim said. "Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's begin. Do you remember the Goddess Hylia, Jack?" Ghirahim asked. I nodded again. Actually, it was funny. Ghirahim hadn't taught me anything new about Hylia after he said she sent that chunk of rock to the sky. I wondered what she had to do with anything. Ghirahim continued with his lecture. "During the war between Hylia and Demise, Hylia suffered grave injuries. She had won the war, but she was dying. As you know, Demise was after the Triforce. He wanted its ultimate power so he could rule the world. Hylia didn't want this to happen, so she devised a plan," he said.

"Hylia's plan was simple. She would hide the Triforce in a safe location, and choose heroes who would be able to retrieve it in the future. She knew Demise would return someday, for he had not been killed. He had only been reduced to an abomination, a mere fraction of his former power. Hylia decided that the only way to prevent Demise from conquering the world in the future was to ensure she would be there as well. So, Hylia sacrificed her immortal from, and planned to be reincarnated as a mortal in the future. She eventually was, and her soul now resides in the body of a young girl, a spirit maiden," Ghirahim said.

I nodded, telling Ghirahim I understood. He went on. "And this spirit maiden is why I brought you here, Jack," he said. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and I saw a vision of a beautiful teenage girl with golden blond hair and blue eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous. I could see why she had the soul of a goddess. For some reason, she looked awfully familiar. The vision died, and Ghirahim went on. "She is the reason you are here, Jack. Her name is Zelda," he said.

"_Zelda… What a beautiful name," _I thought. Then, I came to my senses. "_Wait a minute. Zelda? As in the "video game that Samuel was completely obsessed with" Zelda? The Zelda that apparently wasn't the guy in the green hat? That Zelda?" _I thought. There was no way what I was thinking of could possibly be true.

Ghirahim saw the shocked look on my face, and went on. "One reason I brought you here was so you could help me capture Zelda, Jack," Ghirahim said. I kept staring at Ghirahim in shock, and he went on. "I knew the heroes that Hylia chose would be the only ones able to claim the Triforce, and eventually conquer Demise once and for all. So, I devised a plan of my own. However, it didn't go exactly as planned. I originally was going to capture one of the heroes Hylia chose, and… make him unable to fulfill his duty, you could say. You might know this person, Jack. His name is Samuel," he said.

I kept staring at Ghirahim in shock. My friend Samuel? The person who couldn't even do a chin-up and spent most of the time indoors was somehow going to be able to save the world? It didn't make sense.

Ghirahim continued with his speech. "However, as you may have noticed, he is not present with us. That is because a sniveling, plan-wrecking, despicable servant of the Goddess managed to grab hold of him after I was about to claim him for my own! He, instead of being in my grasp, was transported to the island Hylia sent to the sky! Now, Jack. Do you understand what I'm asking you to do? I am asking you to assist me in capturing Zelda. I am also asking you to help me kill Samuel and the other chosen hero, Link. All of this is part of the same plan to resurrect my master, the great Demise!" Ghirahim finished.

I looked at Ghirahim in complete bewilderment. I finally knew where I was. I was inside a Zelda game. Now I know why Ghirahim's name sounded familiar; Samuel had said it to me right before he slammed the door in my face! I looked at Ghirahim in a completely different light. I saw the physcopath who stood in Sam's driveway almost 2 months ago, and not the person I had learned all of these amazing things from. I felt like a complete idiot. I can't believe I fell for his act. I should have realized who he was from the beginning! "You're insane! Do you honestly think I'm going to help you kill my friend?" I shouted at him. Ghirahim stared at me for a second, and smiled evilly. "Oh, I don't _think_ you're going to help me kill your friend, Jack. I _know_ you're going to help me kill your friend," he replied.

That's it. He was playing mind games with me. I had to get out of here and warn Samuel about what was going to happen. I realized the island in the sky that Hylia created was Skyloft, a place I had seen Samuel run around in the game multiple times. That was the only place in this game I knew of besides where I was now, and it was going to be my ticket out of here. "_I should have done this as soon as Ghirahim taught it to me," _I thought. I snapped my fingers, and my sword appeared in my hands.

Ghirahim smiled at me. "Do you honestly think you're going to beat me in battle, Jack? I will admit, you're good, but you'll never best me," Ghirahim said. I smiled at him. He had the completely wrong idea. I couldn't believe he didn't see what I was about to do. So, I decided to show him instead. I started to wave my sword in a circle. Ghirahim suddenly realized what I was doing, and ran forward to stop me. My sword completed the circle, and I immediately thought of Skyloft. However, just before I vanished, Ghirahim struck me with his sword, disrupting the spell at the last second. My sword was knocked out of my hands, and it flew beyond my reach. I tried to summon it, but Ghirahim struck me down before my sword made it to my hands. I flew backwards, and landed on the ground.

I picked my head up, and saw Ghirahim lumbering over me. He smiled. "Nice try, Jack. But I'm afraid this time, you weren't quick enough. Don't worry; I promise not to kill you. You are far more valuable to me alive. I think you just need a little…refresher on where your loyalties lie," he said. I saw him hold his sword in front of him like he was going to slash at me. I saw some kind of dark energy form around Ghirahim's body. He snapped his fingers, and thrusted his sword at me. All of the energy was released from his body, and it flew into mine. Suddenly, a huge blinding pain formed in my head. My head fell backward, and I blacked out.

I woke up, and I noticed some things were different. I felt drowsy and lightweight, for some reason. I didn't know where I was, but it was dark. _"Where am I?" _I thought. I looked around; it was complete darkness all around me. I sat down on the ground, and waited for something to happen. After what seemed like forever, I heard a voice come from directly above me. "There we are. Do you feel like assisting me now, Jack?" it said.

I recognized that the voice belonged to Ghirahim. Why would he ask a question like that? Wasn't me trying to escape from him a sign that I _didn't _want to help him? I was about to shout for him to let me go when I heard another voice respond to him. "Yes, Master Ghirahim. I feel like assisting you now," it said. I was shocked at the voice I just heard. That voice sounded awfully familiar. There was no way the voice I had just heard was real, because the person that the voice belonged to was me. The voice I just heard was _my_ voice.

"What in Din's name did you do to me, you bastard?" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My voice quickly disappeared in the darkness, and apparently didn't make it through to Ghirahim. I looked down at myself to see if I had anything that could help, and received a slight shock. My body was transparent. I still had clothes on, thank Hylia, but I had nothing else. No sword. No shield. No _anything_.

I was nothing more than a spirit trapped in a dark void of possession, and Ghirahim could do whatever he pleased with me now. He could make me capture Zelda. He could make me kill Samuel and Link if he wanted to, and he probably would do both of them as soon as he got the chance. "Great," I muttered. I knew I had to try and do something, but for now I was stuck. So, I laid down and gave in to the drowsiness of sleep.

**Well, what do you think? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because Jack is going to become a big part of the story later on, in case you haven't already guessed. The next chapter will also be from his point of view, and it will end slightly after the events of last chapter. So, you guys will get to see slightly into the future! Anyway, adios! Remember to review! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter Thirteen! This chapter will be told from Jack's point of view, and it'll end after the events of Chapter Eleven. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Also, thanks to Author of Fiction and EternalCacogen323 for reviewing! Remember to leave a review! Also, read the notes after the chapter for a surprise!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirteen: This Isn't Over**

(Jack's POV)

I woke back up, and guess what? I was still trapped in darkness! Although, I expected as much. I didn't know how much time had passed since I'd fallen asleep, so I stood up and checked to see if anything was different. Surprisingly, something was different. There was a small screen-like object in front of me. It showed Ghirahim with me (or my body, or whatever). I looked the same as I always did: blond hair, white suit, red cape, black sword. The only noticeable difference I saw was that my eyes had a glazed look to them.

Ghirahim and I were standing on a rock floating in the sky. There were clouds below us, and Loftwings were flying around in the sky. Apparently, nobody noticed Ghirahim or me, because they zoomed by on their Loftwings without a second glance. Ghirahim and I were looking around the sky, apparently searching for something.

Suddenly, I saw myself point in a random direction. "Master, there she is," I said. Ghirahim looked at where I was pointing, and the screen panned over in that direction. When it stopped, I caught a glimpse of two Loftwings, one red and one blue. Their riders were a boy and a girl. The girl had long blond hair, and blue eyes. She was wearing a pink dress. It was Zelda. The boy on the red Loftwing had golden blond hair, and also had blue eyes. I didn't know who he was.

Zelda looked at the boy, and smiled. It was obvious that they were friends, maybe even more. She called out to the stranger. "Link? Hey, Link!" Zelda shouted. "What is it?" Link asked. Zelda smiled again. "Today was amazing. Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together… I'll always remember this. It really was wonderful," she said. Link nodded, and Zelda continued. "You know…Link…" Zelda said. "Yes?" Link asked. Zelda smiled again, and continued with her speech. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about…" she started. However, at that moment, the screen panned back to me and Ghirahim.

Ghirahim spoke up to me. "Alright, Jack. Do it now, while she is distracted. Remember, we are only after the spirit maiden. Both of the heroes are under the protection of the goddess's servant, so it would be foolish to go after them now. Now, Jack. Show me what you have learned," he said. I smiled evilly. "Yes, Master," I replied. I closed my eyes, and concentrated. A dark energy formed around my body. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and thrust my sword at Link and Zelda. All of the dark energy was released from my body, and I saw the sky turn dark.

A huge black tornado suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and it was headed straight for Link and Zelda. _"Crap. Crap, crap, crap!" _I thought. Right after I thought that, I was suddenly pitched forward, and I felt solid again. I realized that Ghirahim's hold over me was broken, and that I was now watching the scene through my own eyes, and not through a screen. I watched in horror as the tornado advanced closer to Link and Zelda.

I looked up at Ghirahim, and started to yell at him. "You heartless, no-good bastard! What did you make me do?" I shouted over the wind. Ghirahim looked at me, and a sneer crept up his face. "Why, I didn't make you do anything, Jack. You did all of this of your own accord. At least, a different part of you did. The spell you are under makes your evil side a hundred times stronger than it normally is. It became so strong that it took ahold of you, and possessed your body, shoving the rest of you to the deepest, darkest part of your mind," he said.

Ghirahim continued. "After the little magic trick your evil side just did, I'm actually not surprised you broke free. He was probably weakened from the all of the stress his spell caused. But don't worry, Jack. In a moment, you will once again be nothing but a spirit, trapped inside your mind, unable to fix the damage you have done," he said. "What do you feel, Jack? Do you feel anger? Loathing? Resentment? If I were you, I wouldn't let those emotions and feelings consume you. Because every malignant thought or action you do will only strengthen your evil side, and make it harder to control," he said.

I knew Ghirahim was playing mind games with me again. But, I also knew his words had a ring of truth to them. I did feel anger and resentment towards him. I wanted to take my anger out on something, because I couldn't fix the wrongs I made. And right now, Ghirahim seemed like a good target. I drew my sword, and pointed it straight at his chest. "I swear to Din, Nayru, Farore, and Hylia I will kill you once I regain control of myself for good, Ghirahim. I swear I will make you pay for what you've done to me. I honestly don't care if my evil side takes over again, as long as it isn't before I finish what I'm about to start," I said.

I drew my sword back, and prepared to strike Ghirahim with all of my force. I was going to take revenge on him for leading me into this mess. Ghirahim just stood there with that stupid smile on his face, and I swung my sword. Just as I was about to come into contact with Ghirahim, I felt the same blinding pain in my head I felt before, and stopped moving. It was too much. I sank to my knees, and I looked up at Ghirahim. He laughed at me. "I knew it. You aren't able to control your dark side, and it will be your downfall. I hope you take pride in what you've managed to do today, Jack. Because you've just started the apocalypse of this world!" he shouted. I fell backwards, and blacked out again.

I woke up, and ran over to the screen in front of me. I saw Ghirahim standing on the rock in the sky, and I was still unconscious. Ghirahim was staring at the tornado I'd created. I watched in horror as the tornado swept Link and Zelda off of their Loftwings. They both fell into the clouds, and were lost from view. Ghirahim smiled again, and snapped his fingers. My body vanished. He vanished himself, and the screen I was looking at suddenly dissappeared.

I stared ahead into the darkness, and came to terms with everything that had happened. Ghirahim was ready to capture Zelda, and my evil side would probably make things worse when I woke up. Samuel and Link were apparently under the protection of a servant of the goddess, and were safe for now. What I couldn't understand was that if Zelda _was _the Goddess Hylia, why couldn't she protect herself? Maybe she didn't realize who she really was; that seemed likely.

What sucked the most of all was that all of this was my fault. If I had just been able to escape in the first place, I could have found Link and Samuel, warned them, and this would have never happened. But now that I was trapped again, there was absolutely nothing I could do except rest and wait. So, I laid down, and fell asleep.

I couldn't tell how much time had passed when I woke up. It could have been ten hours, days, or weeks. I sat around for a while, waiting for something to happen. However, nothing did. _"Well, this sucks. I wish there was something I could do instead of just sitting here," _I thought. I was honestly about to go to sleep again, but I suddenly felt the ground begin to shake. It felt like several small earthquakes were happening in quick succession. After they were done, I started to feel solid again.

Suddenly, I was pitched forward, and I knew I was back in my body again. "Huh? What…" I said. I looked around at my surroundings. I was in a small dark room. There was a yellow wall of diamonds cutting the room in half. I noticed Ghirahim and what appeared to be Link fighting on one side of the wall. Link was dressed in the green clothing he always wore, and he was having a little trouble fending off Ghirahim. "_Why wouldn't Ghirahim make me help him fight Link? It probably would help him out a whole lot," _I thought.

I looked around to see if anyone else was in the room. At the other end of the room, there was another figure. He was dressed in the same green clothing Link had on, and he was holding a sword just like Link's. He had a crazed look in his eyes, like he was fighting for his life. For all I knew, he probably was. For some strange reason, he now had pointed ears. I was going to make a joke about them, but now obviously wasn't the time.

I looked into his eyes, and spoke to him. "Samuel?" I asked. Samuel opened his mouth to answer me, but I didn't hear a word he said. Because at that moment, I suddenly felt a familiar pain in my head. I reached my hands up to my head, trying to block the pain. "Samuel, help…" I said. I blacked out, and woke up in the darkness again. There wasn't anything different, so I waited around to see if anything else would happen.

After a while, I felt another series of small earthquakes. After they were done, I suddenly felt myself fly forward into my body again. I woke up in the same room as before. It looked like I was trying to summon my sword into my hand, but I lost concentration and it clattered to the ground. I looked across the room, and Samuel was still there. I decided I had to tell him everything I could before my evil side took over again.

I opened my mouth, and spoke to Samuel. "Oh, crap! Samuel! I guess I don't have the time to talk right now, but let me tell you everything I can," I started. I pointed to Ghirahim. "That freak on the other side of the room abducted me right after you slammed the door in my face. I started to walk home, but Ghirahim came up to me and asked me if I would help him with something. I didn't know who he was, so I tried to run away," I said. I suddenly felt the pain in my head again, but this time, I didn't black out. Instead, I was thrown out of my body and became a spirit in the middle of the room.

I don't think Samuel could see me, because when I looked over at him, he was paying more attention to my evil side than he was to me. My evil side picked up the sword I had dropped, and ran straight at Samuel. He pulled the sword back, charging a strike at Samuel. "No!" I shouted. I ran towards my body. I flew straight into it, and I was back in control. I was holding my sword, and I was about to slice Samuel's neck off. I gasped, and threw my sword across the room, where it couldn't do any damage.

I turned to Samuel, and continued with my story. "Anyway, he teleported me to some weird place where the ground was made of water. He held me there for, what was it, about 2 months? How long has it been since you last saw me?" I asked. I knew it had to be at least 2 months on top of all the time I spent trapped in my mind. Samuel looked at me completely shocked. "It's only been two days, Jack," he replied. "WHAT?" I shouted. There was no way it could have only been two days since all of this started. It just didn't make sense.

Samuel looked at me like I had just made the stupidest mistake ever, and deep down, I knew I had. Ghirahim was obviously going to notice me and make my evil side take over again. And, that's what he did. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and I felt the pain in my head again. I was shoved out of my body, and I became an invisible spirit again. As soon as my evil side was free, he noticed I threw his sword over on the other side of the room. Instead of just running over to get it, he used magic to summon it into his grasp. I loved it when I was able to do that, but right now I wish Ghirahim hadn't taught it to me.

As soon as he got his sword back, my evil side lunged at Samuel, and Samuel was forced to use his shield to block the attack. I knew Samuel's shield wouldn't hold up, because it looked like it was made of wood, and it already looked beat up enough. And, that's exactly what happened: it broke. When his shield broke, Samuel actually looked surprised. "_Well, Samuel, what did you expect? Did you expect for someone to tell you, 'Hey, Samuel. Just so you know, your shield is going to break soon?'" _I thought.

After the attack, Samuel ran forward and managed to hit me a few more times. My evil side jumped backwards, so I tried to regain possession of my body. However, right as I was about to enter my body, I saw my evil side turn around. He apparently knew I was there, and apparently could punch spirits who had no physical matter, because that's what he did. He sucker-punched me right in the face. Being a spirit, I didn't feel any pain from the punch. But, I was sent backwards a few feet. I got up from the punch, and watched my evil side charge towards Samuel.

That was his fatal mistake. Samuel is the luckiest person in the world, I swear to Farore. When my evil side was about to strike him, Samuel started slashing his sword around randomly as if he didn't care where it landed. Luckily, it worked. Samuel hit my evil side a few more times, and he sank to his knees. I walked over to him, and he looked at me in the face. "I swear I'll be back," he said. "Yeah, good luck with that," I replied. I laid back into my body, and my evil side was banished from it.

I looked up at Samuel, and started to explain my story. Now that my evil side was gone, I basically had as much time as I wanted, and could go into detail. "Sorry about that, Samuel. I was just shocked by what you said about it only being two days," I apologized. "Anyway, Ghirahim said if I would help him, he would let me go home. I still didn't know where I was, and I didn't know what his true intentions were, or I would have never agreed," I said.

"So, during those two months, Ghirahim taught me everything I would need for his plan. He taught me about the Goddesses Din, Farore, Nayru, and Hylia, the Triforce, and Zelda's true identity. He taught me how to fight with a sword, and taught me some magic to go along with it. As time passed-or didn't pass, I guess you could say- he told me why I was there, and what he wanted me to do. He wanted me to help him capture Zelda and kill you and Link. But, just before Ghirahim was ready to take me with him to capture Zelda, I tried to use my new magic to escape. When he realized I couldn't be trusted, he put a spell on me, which is why I've been trying to kill you, in case you haven't guessed. That's basically all that happened so far," I said.

Samuel looked at me, and he understood. I wanted to find out about what Samuel had gone through so far, but I knew now wasn't the time. The yellow barrier cutting the room in half disappeared when my evil side was defeated, leaving Ghirahim vulnerable. "Now, before he realizes I'm free, let's go finish him off," I said. I picked up my black sword, and Samuel picked up his. We ran over at Ghirahim and Link. Link was about to finish off Ghirahim, and all three of us struck him at once. Ghirahim fell to his knees after our attacks, and teleported to the middle of the room.

First, he spoke to Link. "Well…you put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible out of such a soft boy," he said. Then, he turned to all of us. "But, don't clap for yourselves quite yet," he said. He looked at the door leading out of the room. "I fear I spent far too long teasing and toying with you. The girl's presence has all but faded from this place," he said. I gasped. Zelda wasn't captured? She was alive? "_Thank the Goddesses," _I thought. As long as she was safe, we all were safe.

And now that I was free from Ghirahim and my evil side, I could help out Samuel and Link. I could give them information. I could train them in magic and swordsmanship, assuming they already weren't skilled in it. I could help them out so much, it wasn't funny. I was finally free.

However, Ghirahim spoke up at that moment, interrupting my thoughts. "And don't think you're out of the woods yet, Jack! I do believe that I have been lacking in my attempts to keep you under control. But, don't worry. After today, you'll never have a free will again!" he shouted. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and I rose off the ground and floated towards him. _"No. No, no, no! This isn't happening! It can't be! My evil side is gone! I saw it!" _I thought. I was now straight above Ghirahim, and he had his sword in his hands.

Ghirahim was about to cast the evil spell again. If he completed the spell, I would be helpless. "NO! For the Goddess's sake, let me go, damn it!" I shouted. I didn't have any choice. I had to use the last attack Ghirahim taught me. It was basically firing a bunch of pure dark energy out of my hands, and it was completely devastating. But, it completely drained me of energy. If it worked, I knew I would be free. It might even kill Ghirahim if it was good enough. But if it didn't work, I was screwed.

I decided to give it a try. I closed my eyes, and concentrated with all my might. Balls of pure dark energy formed in my hands, and I aimed them at Ghirahim. I released them, and they flew straight towards Ghirahim at about a hundred miles an hour. I knew they would hit Ghirahim directly if he didn't do something about it quickly. _"Yes!" _I thought. Just as Ghirahim was about to be hit, he held out his hand, and swatted my energy balls away like they were nothing. _"Shit! Are you kidding me?" _I thought.

Ghirahim looked up at me. "Hah! You'll need to practice more if you ever hope to overcome me, little boy. I might have taught you some neat little tricks, but you're powerless against me!" Ghirahim said. He was pissed.

"I honestly thought I could trust you, Jack. I thought all the time that I spent training you was enough to completely abolish any thought of escape, so I decided to teach you the skills you would need to help me carry out my plans. I now see that thinking you would ever be truly loyal to me was a grave mistake. I honestly hope you've enjoyed your little reunion with your friend, Jack. Because I'm afraid you won't be seeing him for a long, long time. At least, not in your current state of mind!" he said.

"_Well, that's it. It's over. I'm finished," _I thought. I looked over at Samuel and Link, and started to apologize. "Samuel, I'm so sorry," I said. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain. I heard Ghirahim snap his fingers, and my whole body was filled with pain. I screamed, and I knew no more.

I woke up in the familiar darkness of my mind. However, I wasn't alone. There was another figure with me. He had blond hair, a white suit, a red cape, and glazed eyes. It was my evil side. He smiled, well, evilly at me. "Hello, Jack," he said. I didn't stop to think, and ran straight at him. I was going to punch him in the face like he had done to me. When I was three feet away from him, he pulled out a black sword, and I stopped in my tracks. I put my fist down. "What in Din's name do you want?" I said.

He smiled at me some more. "I just wanted to thank you for everything that you've done. If you had just exercised a little more control and didn't give in to your emotions after I created the tornado, you wouldn't be in this position right now. I wouldn't have had enough strength to gain control of your body, and you could have escaped and found a way to stop everything. So, thank you. Also, if you ever become completely free again, which you probably won't, I just wanted to let you know it will be in a world controlled by Demise, so it's pointless to try and escape. Everyone who opposes Demise will be dead, including Samuel, Link, and the Goddess Hylia, who you know as Zelda," he said.

My evil side looked at me one last time. "Goodbye, Jack. I hope you enjoy the rest of your life here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to my master," he said. My evil side snapped his fingers, and he disappeared.

I looked upward. "This isn't over! Do you hear me? It isn't over until Samuel and I get home, and we've beaten you, Ghirahim, and Demise to death!" I shouted. I sighed, and sat down again. _"He can't hear you, Jack," _I told myself. I had nothing except my thoughts now. Once again, I was alone. So, I laid down and went to sleep.

I woke up on pavement. Wait a minute. Pavement? Not darkness? It couldn't be real, as much as I wanted it to be. I stood up, and looked around. I was back in Samuel's driveway. I was exactly where I had first met Ghirahim, where this whole mess started. I pinched myself. Nothing happened. Harder. Still nothing. "No freaking way. It was all a dream?" I said. I couldn't believe it. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I said. No more Ghirahim. No more getting possessed by my evil side. It was all over. I looked down at myself. I had normal clothes on. That, in my opinion, made it official.

I walked up the stairs to Samuel's house, and knocked at his door. "Come in," I heard Samuel say. I walked inside, and headed downstairs. Samuel was sitting at the TV, playing Zelda. His ears weren't pointed anymore, and he was dressed in normal clothes as well. He looked up at me. "Jack?" he asked. I nodded. He looked at me for a second. "You bastard!" he suddenly screamed. He rushed forward, and pinned me against the wall. He wasn't holding a Wii Remote and Nunchuck anymore, but the sword he had with him the last time I had seen him. He now had pointed ears, and was dressed in the green outfit I had seen him in. He looked at me with anger all over his face, and pressed his sword against my neck.

"I knew it! You're trying to screw with me! I can't even be safe in my own dream, for Hylia's sake? Who are you? Ghirahim? Possessed Jack? Tell me!" he shouted. I looked at Samuel. What was going on?

**Well, what do you guys think? Do you like Jack's character? Because guess what? Surprise! *throws confetti* You guys, the readers, are going to have a say in what happens in the story! **

**Here are the details: I basically have a rough draft of the rest of the story planned out, but I'm having trouble deciding on something. Now, I'm not going to give any spoilers or anything like that, but I feel it's only fair to let you guys decide on this. So, here goes. My question to you guys is: Would you rather have Jack be freed from Ghirahim earlier in the story, or later? And that's not a spoiler, in my opinion, because we all know he has to be freed sometime. I have the way he's going to be freed set in stone, so there aren't any debates on that. I just want to know if you guys would rather have Jack be freed from Ghirahim earlier in the story or later. Now, I'm going to put up a poll about this, and I encourage you guys to vote, because it WILL affect the rest of the story. The poll can be found on my profile, so get voting!**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be back in Samuel's POV, so see you then! Bye! :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, readers! Guess what? Today, January 26, is my 16****th**** Birthday! YAY! *throws confetti* Anyway, it's time for Chapter Fourteen! I really hope you all enjoy it! I'm sorry if this chapter seems short, but I've been busy with school and other things (like typing Chapter 22, for instance. Yeah, that's right. Chapter 22. That chapter has been a complete pain in the bum to write, and it's not even finished yet. I've been working on that thing for about a week and a half, and I can't get it down right). So, sorry. :/ **

**Also, remember that I still have the poll about Jack going on. Please, remember to vote in it, because the results of the poll will determine how I write the rest of the story! Anyways, this chapter will be from Samuel's POV, and it will continue where he left off, which is right after the Ghirahim/Evil Jack fight. As always, thanks to everyone who R&R'd, and enjoy! :D **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Skyview Spring and Magic Practice**

(Samuel's POV)

Skyview Spring was so serene and peaceful. As Link and I walked through it, I took in every detail of the place. It was like a combination of a spa, forest, and hot spring. And, it was just plain beautiful. Link and I jumped across some platforms until we came to a Skyward Crest. When we got there, Link took out his sword, charged a Skyward Strike, and swung his sword at the crest.

Link's Skyward Strike hit the crest, and the crest spun around, glowing blue. After a few seconds, I heard soft music start to play. Link sheathed his sword, and Fi came out to talk with us. "Masters, I have a message written in the language of the gods of old. Allow me to translate for you," she said. Fi then started doing what looked like an ice skating routine across the waters of the spring, and started to tell us the message. "From the edge of time I guide you, the ones chosen to carry out the goddess's mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds must travel to two sacred places to purify her body," she started.

I had already heard this message plenty of times, so I watched Fi skate around the spring, and recited the rest of the message in my head. _"You stand in one of these places: Skyview Spring. The other is known as the Earth Spring. The second spring is hidden away deep within the scorched earth of Eldin. The spirit maiden, ever mindful of the heavy task entrusted to her, has set out for this second sacred place," _I thought.

When Fi was done with the message, a light appeared in the hands of the Goddess Statue. The Ruby Tablet appeared, and flew into Link's hands. Fi stared at us for a second, and went back into Link's sword. After putting the tablet in his pouch, Link turned to leave. However, I stopped him."Link, wait! Can't we stay here for a little bit?" I asked. I knew we probably wouldn't spend all day in here, but we could at least wash the blood and other things off us. Link turned around. "Um, sure. I guess we could stay here for a little while and wash up," he admitted.

"Thanks. I really need to clean my wounds from Jack and all those monsters we faced," I said. I sat down on the edge of the water, and started to wash my face with it. The cool water felt amazing. After I was done washing my face, I looked at my reflection in the water. I realized that I didn't look like I had been sucker-punched in the nose anymore. All the blood was gone, and my face looked completely normal. I gasped, and realized what I was washing myself with. _"This is Sacred Water! It completely healed my injury!" _I thought. I turned to Link. "Link, do you know what this is?" I asked. When he said no, I told him about the waters of the spring.

"This stuff is Sacred Water. I forgot all about it. It can heal any injury we have! If we wash ourselves with this stuff, we'll come out of here looking brand new! All our wounds and injuries from battle will be completely gone!" I said. Link looked relieved. "Thank the Goddess," he said. "I'll go over on one side of the spring, and you go on the other. We'll clean ourselves up, and leave in fifteen minutes. Got it?" he asked. I nodded. "Got it," I replied.

When I was sure Link couldn't see me, I took off my clothes (except for my pants), pouch, and sword. I laid them all on a nearby rock, and got to scrubbing. I went to work on the shoulder wound the Bokoblins had given me while I was looking for Kikwis. After two minutes of washing the wound with the Sacred Water, it was completely healed, and my shoulder was back to normal. The chest wound from the Stalfos was next. I washed it with the Sacred Water, and in a few minutes, the wound looked much, much better. It wasn't completely healed, but it didn't hurt anymore. All that was left was a scar which I knew wouldn't go away.

For the rest of the time in the spring, I washed every part of me there was to wash. When time was up, I collected my clothes and put them back on. I grabbed my other stuff, and swam to the center of the spring. After a minute, Link joined me. We both looked fully healed. After the Heart Container and this, I felt like I could do anything.

"Okay. Now that we're healed, let's head back to Skyloft," Link said. I nodded, and together we walked out of Skyview Spring. We eventually came to the front of Skyview Temple, and were back in Faron Woods. I ran up to the nearest Bird Statue, and took out my Sailcloth. "Get your Sailcloth out, Link," I said. He did. I told him that if we wanted to get back to Skyloft, we had to pray for it. So, we bowed our heads, and prayed.

Suddenly, a huge wind blew beneath us, accompanied by a spiraling orange light. The wind caught on our Sailcloths, and we were blown high up into the sky. We eventually passed the cloud barrier, and we called our Loftwings. I kneeled on Zelda's Loftwing, and we were soon flying back to Skyloft. I noticed that the sun started to set on our way back, which kind of sucked. Now, we couldn't go straight to Eldin Volcano; we had to wait a night.

On the ride back, I thought about what I had seen in the boss room of Skyview Temple. I knew I had to find a way to free Jack from possession again, and this time, I had to keep it permanent. Link and I eventually came to the Statue of the Goddess, and I let the thoughts slip from my mind. We jumped off our Loftwings, and fell towards the ground. When we landed, Link took out the Ruby Tablet. We walked inside the Statue, and Link put the tablet in the altar. Outside, the second column of light appeared, revealing our way to Eldin Volcano.

Link and I walked out of the Statue, and headed back to the Knight Academy. By now, the sun had set completely, and it was too late to do anything important. Even though the Sacred Water had healed my injuries, I still felt really tired. I didn't feel like doing anything else tonight, so when Link and I entered the Academy, I said goodnight to him and walked into Zelda's room. I took off my boots, hat, chainmail, belt, gauntlets, sword, pouch, and glasses. I was left with my tunic and pants to sleep in. I got under the covers of Zelda's bed, prayed, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The only thing I could think of was being back home, which is probably why I dreamt about it. My dream consisted of me in my house. I was playing Zelda like I normally would. I had just finished a normal day at school, although Jack was absent. In my dream, I didn't have pointed ears (Although they were still cool, in my opinion), and I didn't have to worry about saving Jack. The only thing I had to do was enjoy myself. Life was good. I was about to beat The Imprisioned's second form when I heard a knock at my door. "Come in," I said. It was Jack.

"Jack?" I asked. He nodded. Jack looked like he wasn't possessed anymore, but he wasn't fooling me. I knew that this was some sort of illusion that Ghirahim or Evil Jack made to try and mess with me. My guess was that they wanted to fool me with a fake Jack to find out some information. I stood up. "You bastard!" I screamed. I ran forward, and pinned Jack against the wall. Because this was a dream, I willed my Wii Remote and Nunchuck to become my sword, I willed all of my Zelda clothes back on, and, just to finish the look, I willed my ears to become pointed again.

I pulled out my sword, and pressed it against Jack's neck. "I knew it! You're trying to screw with me! I can't even be safe in my own dream, for Hylia's sake? Who are you? Ghirahim? Possessed Jack? Tell me!" I shouted. Jack looked at me, and the color drained out of his face. He looked like he wasn't expecting any of this to happen. "Samuel, it's me. It's Jack. I'm not possessed anymore. Well, I guess you could say I still am, but that's not the point. I thought everything that happened was a dream, but I guess I'm wrong. If this isn't real, then where am I?" he choked.

I pulled my sword away from Jack, and willed myself back into normal clothes. But, I kept my sword out just in case. "You're in a dream, Jack. My dream. It's only been a few hours since I saw you get possessed again. How do I know you're not possessed right now, and Ghirahim found a way to keep your eyes normal so I wouldn't find out?" I asked him.

Jack faked deep thought. "Hmm, I guess you don't know," he replied. He grinned evilly at me, and laughed. "I'm only joking. I swear to the Goddesses I'm not possessed right now. Come on, Samuel. We need to talk," he said. We walked over to the bar in my basement, and sat down. I knew we were going to be here for a while. "Okay, Jack. Shoot," I said.

Over the next hour or so, Jack told me his story, only stopping to answer the occasional question I had. For example, when Jack mentioned he could teleport like Ghirahim, I was shocked he didn't immediately try and leave. "Why didn't you escape as soon as Ghirahim taught you how to teleport? You could've warned me about everything," I said.

Jack thought for a moment, and looked at me like he was embarrassed to say the answer. "I didn't try to escape because… I was enjoying myself too much to leave. I honestly was having the time of my life, and I only ever thought of leaving when it was too late. I guess you could say it was the biggest case of Stockholm Syndrome ever. You know what that is, right?" he asked. I nodded. Stockholm Syndrome was whenever someone who was captured began to feel sympathy towards their captor.

"Admit it; you wouldn't want to leave either if you were in the same position as I was," he said. I thought about his answer. It did seem like an amazing experience. I guess if I wasn't a Zelda fan, and didn't know who Ghirahim was, I would make the same choices Jack made. "It does sound amazing, I guess. But, why are you here?" I asked.

Jack looked at me for a second, and shook his head. "I don't know. Whenever I get possessed, I get sent to this dark corner of my mind. There's nothing I can do there except sit around and sleep. As you saw, I got possessed again, and ended up in the same place I usually was. I met my evil self there, and he told me his plan. He and Ghirahim are going to resurrect Demise, and take over the world! So, we have to stop them at all costs. What sucks is that I can't do anything right now, because I'm possessed. So, the next time you see me, do whatever you can to try and set me free. I don't care what you have to do, just do it!" he shouted.

I stared at Jack, and decided to tell him the truth. "But, the next time I'm going to see you is probably in the Earth Temple, and it'll probably only be for a few seconds. Ghirahim is going to be there to make Scaldera, and then Link and I will have to fight him. Ghirahim or you won't be around after that. The next time Link and I will have to actually fight him is in the Fire Sanctuary, and that's not for a while. I don't know if that'll be enough time, Jack," I said.

Jack looked slightly pissed at my words. "Well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Anyway, now that you're all caught up on my story, you know that I can be a big help to you and Link, right?" he asked. I nodded. Jack was probably a better swordsman than I was, and I knew he knew some magic as well. "Yeah, it sounds like you know a bunch of new things that could help. Can you teach me something right now?" I asked.

Jack thought for a second. "Yeah, I guess I could try and teach you something simple. I don't know, how about how to summon you sword if it gets knocked out of your hands?" he asked. I nodded. That actually seemed like it would be useful. "Okay, go ahead," I replied. I thought for a second, and willed my dream to become the place where you fought Demise. It seemed like a good place for learning magic, in my opinion.

Jack stared at the place we were in, and laughed. "Alright, I'll take it. Okay, Samuel. Summoning something with magic can be hard the first time you try it. You really have to concentrate, or it won't work. It took me about two weeks to get it right, but that was practicing about an hour at a time. My guess is we have about 5 or 6 hours until someone wakes you up, so you should be able to at least make your sword float off the ground by that time, if you can't get it to come to you. Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded.

"Alright," he said. He snapped his fingers, and his black sword appeared in his hands. "Good. At least I'm still able to do that here," he said. He threw his sword like a javelin, and it landed about thirty yards away. "Now, watch me," he said. He stared at his sword, and held out his hand. The sword sped off the ground at about twenty-five miles an hour and landed right in it. After Jack got his sword back, he did a spin attack just to show off.

Jack turned to me. "It took me about two months to get it down that good. Now you try it, Samuel. I don't expect you to get it on your first try, but let's see how it goes," he said. I took my own sword out of its sheath, and hurled it as far as it would go. It didn't go quite as far as Jack's did, only about twenty yards. Jack snickered at me. "Shut up," I mumbled. I stared at my sword, and I tried to imagine it rising off of the ground like Jack's did. After about thirty seconds of intense concentration, my sword moved a couple of inches towards me, but it didn't leave the ground.

Jack smiled. "That wasn't completely horrible, for your first time. Try it again," he said. He looked at my sword, and it moved backwards about three feet. "Hey!" I said. Jack laughed at me. "Go on," he said. I turned away from him, and looked at my sword again. I concentrated with all my might, and my sword eventually floated up off of the ground and hovered in the air. I was surprised, and lost my concentration. The sword clattered to the ground.

I pointed to my sword. "Alright! Did you see that?" I shouted. Jack looked really surprised. "Wow. Even I wasn't able to get it off the ground as fast as that. Do that again, Samuel. Just like last time," he said. I stared at my sword again, and concentrated. My sword eventually rose off of the ground, and started to move ever-so-slowly towards me. However, I couldn't keep my concentration up long enough, and it clattered to the ground after moving about a quarter of the way there. _"This is going to take a while," _I thought.

By the time I was feeling ready to wake up, I could make my sword float towards me at about ten miles an hour. I was completely exhausted from the practice, but it was worth it, in my opinion. Jack turned to me after I'd made my sword float towards me for about the tenth time. "Okay. I think that should be enough. You've come a long way from your first try, but you could still do better. Even if you aren't able make your sword come to you, you'll definitely be able to make some smaller things come easily, like Rupees and other stuff," he said.

I smiled. "Thanks a bunch, Jack. I promise if I end up seeing you again, I'll try my hardest to free you, no matter what it takes. Until then, I guess this is goodbye," I said. Jack smiled, although he looked slightly bummed out. I could understand why. I mean, if I had to sit in a dark corner of my mind with nothing to do, and I knew that one of my friends could be dead because of me, I would feel the same way Jack did. Jack waved at me. "Bye, Samuel," he said. Jack looked at the ground, and started to fade away. When he was gone, my dream vanished. I woke up in Zelda's room, and my sword was in my hand.

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please remember to vote in the poll, and leave a review if you've got the time. Anyway, see you all next time! Bye! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter Fifteen! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and it will lead into Eldin Volcano. Unfortunately, nothing truly exciting happens in this chapter, unless you count a tiny, tiny bit of foreshadowing as exciting. Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! It made me feel good inside that you guys were kind enough to wish me a happy birthday. Plus, the virtual hugs and cookies helped as well. ;)**

**Anyway, if you haven't done so yet, then remember to vote in the poll on my profile. In case you need a reminder of what it is you're voting on, then let me remind you. I want you guys to vote on when you want Jack to be freed from Ghirahim: earlier in the story, or later. So far, I only have three votes on it, and that kind of worries me. So, remember to vote if you haven't already done so! I'm going to close the poll when I sit down to type a certain part in the story, although that might not be for a while.**

**Anyway, here's Chapter Fifteen! Hope you all enjoy it! :D**

**DISCALIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Fifteen: All Is Revealed…again.**

As soon as I woke up, I decided to try out the spell Jack taught me in my dream, just to make sure it really happened. I set my sword down on the ground in front of me, and backed up a few steps. I held out my hand, and concentrated hard. My sword slowly rose off the ground and floated into my hand. I smiled. _"Thanks a bunch, Jack. I promise I'll find a way to free you, no matter what it takes," _I thought.

I put my sword, pouch, and other clothes on. Then, I headed down to Link's room and checked to see if he was awake. I should have known better. When I opened Link's bedroom door, Link was in his bed, fast asleep. He hadn't even taken off his clothes; the only things that were beside his bed were his shield and sword. I decided that I would wake him up later and let him sleep some more. I quietly shut Link's door. Then, I walked out of the Knight Academy, and headed for the nearest diving platform. It was daylight, but I didn't know the exact time. My best guess was that it was ten-thirty. As far as I knew, there weren't any clocks in Skyloft, or at least any clocks that I could understand.

I waited on the edge of the diving platform, and looked out into the sky. Everything looked beautiful. I saw the Lumpy Pumpkin far off in the distance, and remembered about the Goddess Chest that was there. I decided to go there and get it, and maybe get some breakfast as well. So, I took a breath, and dove into the sky. I called Zelda's Loftwing, and it appeared beneath me. I flew off towards the Lumpy Pumpkin with the wind whistling past my face. After a minute or two, I reached the Lumpy Pumpkin, and dove off Zelda's Loftwing onto the island. I walked around, and eventually found the Goddess Chest.

I walked over to the purple chest, and opened it up. Inside were not one, but two Adventure Pouch expansions. I clipped them both onto my belt, and walked inside the Lumpy Pumpkin for some breakfast. I looked around. The Lumpy Pumpkin looked exactly like it had in the game. It resembled a saloon from the old west. I walked up to the bar, and sat down. I didn't know what else there was to eat there, so I ordered a bowl of pumpkin soup. Pumm walked over to a kettle, and scooped some soup into a bowl. He got a spoon out, and walked back to me.

Pumm set the soup down on the bar. "There you go. That'll be ten Rupees," he said. I took two blue Rupees out of my wallet and handed them to Pumm. Something I always found weird was that there usually weren't any Rupees in Zelda that were worth ten Rupees. I don't know why, but it just seemed weird to me that there were Rupees worth 1, 5, and 20, but no ten. Anyway, after paying Pumm, I picked up the spoon and dug in. I have to say, it wasn't a surprise that the Lumpy Pumpkin was famous for its soup. That stuff tasted amazing. So amazing, in fact, that I ordered a second helping of it. I wanted to put some soup in a bottle to take with me, but I wasn't going to waste my Fairy or Heart Potion for it.

After I was done eating, I stood up and walked out of the Lumpy Pumpkin. I dove off of the island, and flew back to Skyloft. I guessed it was about eleven-thirty, so I decided to go shopping at the Bazaar. I walked inside. The only thing I really needed to buy was an Iron Shield, so I bought one from Rupin. I didn't need to buy anything else, so I turned to leave. However, as I was walking out of the Bazaar, I passed by Sparrot's tent again. I stared at Sparrot for a few seconds, and walked towards him slowly.

The last time I got my fortune told from Sparrot, he accurately predicted the possession of Jack, although I didn't realize what he meant until it was too late. I knew people like Gaepora and Impa knew what I was going to have to do already, but they wouldn't tell me if I asked. I knew the Sheikah Stone near the Knight Academy helped you out, but it was only used to solve puzzles if you got stuck. I knew it wouldn't know anything about my situation, or how to help me. The only option left was to ask Sparrot.

If I talked to Sparrot again, maybe he would tell me when I would see Jack again, or a way of freeing him. It could be anything, really. I walked up to Sparrot, and he looked up at me. He had a surprised look on his face. "Well, I knew you would come back eventually, but I didn't expect it to be this quick! Most people come to see me every few months or so, but you're the first customer I've seen to come back after only two days!" he said.

I smiled at Sparrot, then I took out two blue Rupees and handed them to him. He put them in his pocket. "Alright, then. Let me see what I can see!" he said. He looked at his crystal ball for a few seconds. "Ahaaaaa… I see many things. All is revealed," he said. He turned to me, and started to tell me my fortune.

"Well, it seems you've already found one of the complications I told you about last time. I still can't see exactly what it is, but I can definitely see it's an evil spirit of some sort. Wait…Ahhh…It looks like you may be able to banish the evil force from the host it is currently occupying. I can't see exactly how to do it, but I know it is possible to do. I can also see it involves something you own, young man. Unfortunately, that is all I can see at the moment," he said.

I looked at Sparrot, and thought about what he had just told me. His fortune wasn't as cryptic as it was last time, but it was cryptic nonetheless. It sounded like I could free Jack with something I owned. All I had on me at the moment was the Iron Shield I had just bought, my sword, a Fairy, a Heart Potion, and a Rupee bag. It didn't seem like any of them could be used for removing someone from possession. The only thing I could think of was to let Jack die, and use a Fairy to revive him. Maybe dying and being brought back to life could free Jack. But, I knew that probably wasn't it.

I decided I would think about it later. "Thanks, Sparrot," I said. I turned away from him, and walked out of the Bazaar. I headed toward the Knight Academy. I was pretty much ready to go to Eldin Volcano, so I decided to get Link out of bed. After all, I'm sure he needed to buy some buy things as well. I walked inside the academy, and headed over to Link's room. I opened his door, and guess what? He was _still _sleeping, even though it was probably noon. I was honestly starting to wonder if I should call Zelda's Loftwing to wake him up again. As funny as that was, I decided against it.

I walked up to Link. I decided to try calling his name first. "Link?" I asked softly. He remained asleep. "Link. Link!" I said, raising my voice. Link continued sleeping. "Link, wake up, for the love of Nayru!" I shouted. I shook his shoulder. Link continued to sleep. I hit him lightly. Nothing. I looked over on the other side of the room. There was a bookshelf.

I held out my hand, and concentrated. A random book flew off the shelf into my hand. I took the book, and hit Link with it. Link was disturbed for a second, but he continued sleeping. I put the book back, and decided to pinch his nose shut. That always works. I pinched Link's nose shut for about 15 seconds. Link must be some freak of nature when it comes to sleep, because he didn't wake up.

"_That's it, Link. You've given me no choice," _I thought. I walked over to the window, opened it, and whistled loudly. A few seconds later, Zelda's Loftwing was in front of me. I took my head out of the window, and Zelda's Loftwing stuck its head inside the room. It noticed Link, and it gave me a look that said, "Again? Really?" I nodded. "Can you please wake him up again?" I asked. The Loftwing looked at Link, and opened its mouth. I covered my ears.

Being a Hylian has its advantages and its disadvantages. Now, I could hear much better than ever before, which countered my horrible eyesight. However, at that moment, I wished I was still human. Even though I covered my ears, the shriek that came from Zelda's Loftwing was loud enough to make someone go deaf. My new ears probably made the shriek sound even louder than it was supposed to.

Link opened his eyes, and jumped out of bed like the world was going to explode. When he noticed he was awake and not dead, he looked up at me. I smiled. "Hey, sleepyhead. I know how much you like to sleep in, so I'm guessing I'll be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right?" I asked. Link got to his feet. "Yeah, you guessed right, Samuel," he said. I looked at Zelda's Loftwing, and winked. It pulled its head out of the window, and flew off.

"Rise and shine, Link! Today, we're going to Eldin Volcano!" I said. Link collected his things, and put them on. "Smart mouth," I heard him mutter. I looked at him. "Well, if you're going to call me names like that, then I guess you won't be getting this new Adventure Pouch expansion I found," I said. I took one off my belt, and threw it to him. Link caught it, and clipped it onto his belt. "Thanks," he said. He strapped his sword and shield to his back, and we headed out of the Knight Academy.

I was going to take Link to the Bazaar, but on the way there I noticed Beedle's Airshop floating above us. I stopped, and pulled out my slingshot. "Hey, Link. There's a new store up in that flying house. Have you heard about it?" I asked. Link looked at me, and nodded. "Yeah, I think a kid I met before told me about it. That place is called Beedle's Airshop, I think. I know it's a store, but I don't know what it sells," he replied.

I looked at the house in the sky, and pulled back my Slingshot. "Well, let's see if there's anything worth buying," I said. I fired at the bell below the shop, and the house stopped moving. It hovered in the air, and a rope came down to let us inside. Link and I walked over to the rope. I climbed it a little so Link could get on as well. Once we were both on the rope, we were lifted up to the shop.

Once Link and I were safely on the platform, we walked into the shop. Beedle was pedaling his bicycle to keep the house afloat. He looked at us for a second. "Oh! You've come all this way? It's so rare to have customers here! Beedle's Airshop has everything you could ever want. Please, take a look around! And if you actually buy something, that would be even better!" he said.

Link and I looked at the four items on display: a Bug Net, a Life Medal, an Extra Wallet, and an Adventure Pouch expansion. Link walked over to the Extra Wallet. "What's this?" he asked. Beedle looked at the Extra Wallet, and started to explain. "That's an Extra Wallet. It's amazingly useful! With this, you can carry an extra 300 Rupees in your wallet! Say good-bye to all those times you couldn't pick up another Rupee because your wallet was stuffed full! Leave no Rupee behind!" he said. Link looked at the wallet like it was the best thing ever invented. He asked Beedle about the other items, and Beedle explained them to him as well.

Link looked at the Life Medal. He had just heard Beedle's vague explanation about it, and the price: 800 Rupees. "That's too much for my blood. But, I would like to buy that Bug Net and a wallet. Let me just- oh, dang it," he said. He looked down at his pockets. They were empty. "I must have left my Rupees in my room. I'll be right back," he said. He turned to leave.

I realized what Link was doing. "Link, wait! You can borrow-" I said. But, it was too late. Link stepped in front of the door, and Beedle started yelling at him. He was mad. "Do you know how heavy you are?! I have to pedal extra hard with you up here! Then you have the gall to leave without buying anything? Off with you!" he shouted. Beedle pulled a rope near him, and a trapdoor opened beneath Link's feet. I reached forward to grab him, but I missed, and Link fell to the ground outside. The trapdoor closed.

I decided to buy a Bug Net before leaving, so I wouldn't have to take the painful way out as well. I handed Beedle the 50 Rupees for the net, and put it in my pouch. I still had about a hundred Rupees left, so I decided to get my Extra Wallet later, when Link and I would be back. I walked out of the store, and jumped down to the ground. Link was still sitting down.

He looked at me. "How did you get out without him dropping you through the floor?" he asked. I pulled out my Bug Net. "I bought this from him just before I left. Now, let's go get your Rupees so you can get one, too," I said. Link stood up, and dusted himself off. "Okay," he said. We ran back to his room and got his Rupee bag. A few minutes later, Link and I both walked out the door of Beedle's Airshop with Bug Nets and Extra Wallets, although mine was completely empty. Beedle had cleaned me out.

After we jumped onto the ground, Link and I walked into the Bazaar. Link bought an Iron Shield and some potions as well. "Well, my wallet's empty. I think that means it's finally time to go to Eldin," he said. I nodded. "Yeah, I think it's time, too," I replied. We walked out of the Bazaar, ran over to the nearest diving platform, and dove into the sky. We called our Loftwings, and headed toward the second column of light.

Link and I eventually came to the red column of light leading to Eldin Volcano. We dove off our Loftwings, and descended towards the surface. I could see nothing but lava and a few chunks of rock beneath the clouds. As we got closer to the ground, the temperature kept getting hotter and hotter. After a few minutes of falling, we pulled out our Sailcloths, and floated to the ground. "Welcome to Eldin Volcano, Link," I said.

Eldin Volcano was hot, to say the least. It was just hot. I could feel myself sweating hard, and we had only been there about thirty seconds. _"Well, at least you'll lose some weight," _I thought. I looked around. I could see a Bird Statue right in front of us, and a path leading to our right. I looked off into the distance, and I could see the volcano itself. It was pouring out more lava every second.

After I got my first look around, Fi came out of Link's sword and explained where we were. "Masters, this is Eldin Volcano. It is an active volcano rich with the power of the earth. Approximately 65% of the region is covered by lava. It is inhabited by a large number of creatures that thrive in the extreme heat and direct flame. Please exercise caution with flammable materials such as wood or fabric," she said.

"_Yeah, I think we've got that covered, Fi," _I thought. I had an Iron Shield on, and so did Link. Fi continued with her speech. "In the event you catch on fire, I highly recommend you extinguish the flames by performing a forward roll or spin attack," she said. I nodded, telling her I understood. She went back into Link's sword, and Link spoke up. "Man, this place is hot," he said. I nodded. "Thank you, Capitan Obvious," I said sarcastically.

Link looked at me with a puzzled look. "What? Capitan who?" he said. I facepalmed. I looked back at Link, and started to explain. "It's nothing. It's an expression from where I come from. We use it to make fun of people who point out things that are completely obvious. Like right now, why would you point out it's hot? Of course it's hot, we're in the middle of a freaking volcano, for Din's sake!" I said.

Even though I was thinking the exact same thing Link was, at least I wasn't stupid enough to say it out loud. Link laughed. "Yeah, I guess that was kind of obvious," he muttered. We walked forward, and prayed at the Bird Statue. After we were done praying, we walked down the path in front of us.

I spotted a Red Chuchu in our way, and I ran up to it. I sliced at it with my sword, and it was split into two smaller Chuchus. I killed them as well, and received a Jelly Blob for my trouble. Link and I walked forward to a fork in the road. I looked down the left path, and saw a Goddess Cube. "I'll get that, Link," I said. I ran forward and hit the cube with a Skyward Strike. It was sent to the sky.

"Okay, let's get going," Link said. He tried to walk down the path in front of us, but I stopped him. "There's no point, Link. That left path is blocked. We need to go down the right path," I said. Link looked at me puzzled again. "You know, sooner or later, you're going to tell me how you know all of these things before they happen, Samuel," he said.

We walked down the path to our right, jumping across the rocks on our way. We continued forward, but stopped in our tracks when we saw two mounds of dirt suddenly form in our path. After a few seconds, two Mogmas popped out of the earth. "Hey! Hey! HEY! Y-you mess with our turf and you're gonna… pay?" the Mogma on our right said.

The other Mogma spoke up. "Whoa! You're not… Yo, Ledd, I don't think these two are some of those red creeps," he said. Ledd looked at us again. "Y-y-yeah, I think you're right…No reason to scare the hair off us, though! Sorry 'bout that, pal. These monsters showing up and messing with our turf has got me on edge. They show up here, and I'm gonna knock the red clean out of 'em! That's what I'm doing here. Yeah, me, Ledd," he said.

The other Mogma snorted. "Yeah, whatever, Mr. Too Scared to Dig in the Dark," he mumbled. The Mogmas told Link and I about staying away from the Bokoblins if we wanted treasure. "Thanks for the advice," Link said. We walked away from the pair of Mogmas, and continued down the path. We turned to our right, and spotted a pair of Chuchus. We killed them both, and got extremely lucky; both of them dropped Jelly Blobs. _"Score!" _I thought. We each picked up one, and headed down to the next room.

The next room was full of lava and Fire Keese. Link and I decided to run through the room as fast as we could, and we only had to kill the Keese that were stupid enough to get in our way. We walked into the next room, which was filled with bombs. _"Yes! Bombs!" _ I thought, a wicked smile crawling up my face. I loved bombs so freaking much. They annihilated pretty much everything you threw them at. I couldn't wait to try them out for myself.

Link and I walked up to the Mogma sitting in front of us, and he spoke up. "Huh? Who're you two supposed to be? Never seen you around here before…Whoa, hold it right there! Are you guys friends of those red creeps?" he asked. I tried to look as offended as possible. "No way!" I replied. The Mogma smiled. "You're not, huh? Well, you don't look like 'em, that's for sure. You're not _that_ ugly," he said.

"Hey!" I said. The Mogma laughed. "So what then? You two here to pick bomb flowers?" he asked. I smiled. "Yep," I replied. The Mogma looked back at me. "That's what I figured. You can pick up some pretty powerful ones in this area," he said. He pointed to the Bomb Flowers in the middle of the room. "Look! There are some right over there! Take as many as you want," he said.

Link looked slightly confused about the bombs, so the Mogma showed him how to throw and roll them properly. Meanwhile, I ran over to the Bomb Flowers and picked up the first one I came up to. It started smoking as soon as I did. I quickly ran over to the rocks in front of me, and threw my Bomb at it. The Bomb landed right in front of them, and exploded after a few seconds. The rocks blew up, and the way out was revealed.

I picked up another Bomb, and threw it at some more rocks in the wall. The bomb blew up, and inside was a giant red Chuchu. It was huge, about as big as I was. I stepped back. _"Wow. That's a big Chuchu," _I thought. However, even though it was huge, I defeated it easily by throwing a bomb at it. It swallowed the bomb, and a few seconds later, it exploded. _"Yes!" _ I thought.

I walked back to Link. He smiled. "You really seem to like bombs, don't you?" he asked. I nodded. "Yes, Link. Yes, I do," I replied. I looked at the tunnel ahead of us. "Okay, let's get going," I said. Link nodded. Link and I said goodbye to the Mogma, and we walked through the tunnel.

**Let's see...did I forget anything? Um...Oh, yeah. Remember to leave a review, and I'll see you guys next chapter! Bye! :D**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, readers! Well, welcome to Chapter Sixteen! It's kind of a filler chapter, and it's short, but there's more Eldin Volcano! Yay! As always, thanks to the people who reviewed, and enjoy! Bye!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Sixteen: It's Not My Fault I Have Amazing Skills**

Link and I walked through the tunnel, killing some Fire Keese along the way. I got lucky, and mine dropped a Monster Claw. I picked up the claw, and put it in my pouch for later. Link and I walked forward, and we prayed at a Bird Statue. We walked down the path to find another Mogma, and Link started to speak to him. The Mogma said that he saw someone go through the hole to our left, and Link gasped.

He turned to me. "Maybe it's Zelda!" he said, although I knew it was Impa. Link asked the Mogma about what it had seen, and it told Link the person it had seen was wearing black, not pink. Link cursed under his breath. "Damn," he said. I walked up to Link, and calmed him down. "It's okay, Link. We'll find her eventually. Let's keep going," I said. We walked down the path, and I spotted a Pyrup, a weird seal-type creature that could breathe fire.

The Pyrup noticed us, and fled to a hole in the wall. We jumped down to the lower ledge, and Link spotted two Bomb Flowers on the ground. "Let me see if I can use one of these to kill it," he said. He picked up a Bomb Flower, and it started to smoke. Link ran over to the hole in the wall. The Pyrup started breathing fire at Link, and he jumped out of the way.

Link was distracted for too long, and tried to get rid of the Bomb before it exploded. He threw it, but it only went about three feet before it exploded in his face. He screamed in pain. "Link! Are you okay?" I shouted. Link turned to me. His face looked slightly burned, but it wasn't anything too serious. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let me try again," he said. He walked up to the Bombs, and picked up another one. It started to smoke.

Link ran over to the Pyrup, and threw the Bomb inside the hole. As soon as the Bomb hit the fire, it exploded, killing the monster. "Yes!" Link said, pleased with himself. He turned to me. "Come on, Samuel. Let's keep going," he said. We ran forward, climbed the ledge, and spotted a Bokoblin with a Monster Horn. It blew on the horn, calling more Bokoblins to join it. Link and I eventually killed all of them, and walked forward to see a couple of Pyrups inside hard shells. There were bombs on the ground, so it was obvious what we had to do next.

I turned to Link, and decided to have some fun with him. "Hey Link, let's play a little game. I bet you 20 Rupees that I'll kill one of those Pyrups in a shell before you do. But, we're only allowed to use Bombs, and we have to stay on this ledge," I said. Link looked at me, and smiled. "Okay. You're on!" he said. We each stood over a Bomb Flower. "Ready…Set…Go!" I shouted. Link and I each picked up a Bomb Flower. Link immediately turned away from me, and made a hasty shot for his Pyrup. He missed by several feet.

I turned away from Link, and aimed my Bomb at the Pyrup in front of me. Little did Link know, I spent most of my time not devoted to Zelda games or homework shooting basketball outside. I wasn't amazing at basketball, but I had a good foul shot. And, the Pyrup was the perfect distance away. I threw my Bomb in a perfect arc, and it went straight into the hole. _"Yes!" _I thought. I won our little bet.

"Boom goes the dynamite!" I said as the bomb exploded. I smiled smugly, turned to Link, and held out my hand. Link was reluctant, but he reached into his pouch and pulled out 20 Rupees. He handed them to me. "Cheater," he mumbled. I smiled. "It's not my fault I have amazing skills, Link," I said, stuffing the Rupees into my wallet.

"Maybe you'll win next time," I said. Link smiled. "Yeah, whatever you say, Samuel," he said, obviously hurt at losing. Link picked up another Bomb Flower, and threw it at his Pyrup. The Bomb went straight into the hole, and Link's Pyrup was killed after a huge explosion. We jumped down to the ground, and Link ran over to some Bomb Flowers on the other end. He looked down the unstable pathway, and saw lava pouring out of the cracked wall on the other end. Link looked at the Bomb Flowers at his feet, and realized what he had to do. "That seems simple enough," he muttered.

Link picked up a Bomb Flower, and rolled it down the path. It rolled straight for the first half of the journey, but at the end it curved right and missed. "Damn," Link said as the Bomb exploded. I laughed at him. "It might take a couple of tries to get, Link," I said. Link ignored me, and picked up another Bomb Flower. He rolled it down the path, and this time the Bomb made it to the cracked wall. It exploded, and more lava poured out of the wall, revealing a way into the small volcano we had passed earlier.

I looked at Link. "Okay, Link. Let's see where that hole leads us," I said. Link nodded, and we made our way across the platforms above the lava. Link and I ran as fast as we could, and made it across safely. We walked over to the air holes in front of the small volcano, and pulled out our Sailcloths. The wind caught on them, and we were blown onto a metal platform.

Link and I stood on the platform for a few seconds, staring below us. I couldn't see anything, but I knew it was safe to jump down there. "Come on, Link. As long as we use our Sailcloths, we should be fine," I said. I held my Sailcloth in my hands, and prepared to jump off the ledge. "See you on the other side," I said. I jumped off of the metal platform, and descended towards the ground. As I came closer to the ground, I spotted a Goddess Cube on a small platform.

I piloted my body to the platform, and opened my Sailcloth. I managed to land on the small platform, and found myself face-to-face with the Goddess Cube. I got out my sword, and charged a Skyward Strike. A few seconds later, the cube was sent to the sky. I knew that cube's chest had 300 Rupees in it, so I made a mental note to get it as soon as I could, which was sometime after Lanayru Desert.

After getting the cube, I saw Link drop out of the sky. He pulled out his Sailcloth, and floated to the ground. I jumped off the platform, and joined him. After I landed, Link asked me a question. "Why were you on that platform?" he asked. I looked to the sky. "I saw a Goddess Cube, so I got it," I replied. I walked over to a small ledge, and climbed it. _"_I'll be right back, Link," I said. I ran down a small tunnel, and saw a huge air hole in front of me. However, I wasn't interested in going back up just yet. I looked to my left, and saw an Amber Relic. I picked it up, and ran back to Link.

Link and I continued to make our way through the small volcano. We walked into a tunnel made out of stone, and followed the path to our left. There was a Mogma sitting in the way. He was fuming about the Bokoblins in the next room. "Grrr… Those creeps just shimmied on in and took over our territory," he said. He turned around, spotted Link and I, and screamed.

"Yeow! What're you two doing? Don't be sneakin' up on me like that!" he shouted. Link looked at the Mogma, and apologized. "We're sorry we startled you. Actually, we were wondering if you could help us out. We're looking for a girl that looks just like us. She had blond hair, a pink dress…" Link started. But, the Mogma interrupted him. "Huh? You're looking for your friend? Can't help you there. Nobody's come through here, so…maybe they went up the mountain from over thataway," he said.

The Mogma then gave a sigh. "Ahh… Wish someone would chase these clowns outta here," he said. Link walked back to me. "Maybe we should help him, Samuel. He looks like he could use some help, and we can kill Bokoblins easily enough," he said. I nodded, and gave an evil smile. "Yeah, that actually sounds like fun. Let's kill some Bokoblins," I said. Link and I drew our swords, and ran into the room with the Bokoblins. One of them had a Monster Horn, and immediately blew on it.

"Let's split up," I said. Link nodded. He ran to one side of the room, and I ran to the other. The group of Bokoblins split up, and I only had about four to deal with. I managed to hit three of them with a single swipe of my sword, sending them all on their backs. Two died, and the third remained long enough for me to finish it off with a Fatal Blow. I got up from my attack, and looked behind me. There was only one Bokoblin left; it swiped at me with its club, and missed. I swung my sword and killed it easily. It dropped an Ornamental Skull, and I picked it up. I ran around, picking up more goodies from my battle.

When I was done picking up my goodies, I ran over to Link. He still had three Bokoblins left, and I could hear another one calling for help with its Monster Horn. Link took out one of them, and I took out another. We ganged up on the third, and sent it flying across the room. But, the Bokoblin in the distance blew its horn again, and more came to fight. I knew the one with the horn had to be stopped, so I turned to Link. "Link! I'll go kill the one with the horn! That'll stop any more from coming! Try and hold them off for a few seconds!" I shouted.

I ran over to a yellow metal ledge, and climbed it. I could see the Bokoblin with the horn at the end of the path. I ran over to it with my sword raised in the air. It turned to get one last look at me before I sliced it in half, no joke. My sword went right through it. After the Bokoblin was dead, I looked over at Link. He was starting to become surrounded by the things, and he looked injured. _"Crap," _I thought. I rushed over to the back of the crowd of Bokoblins, and started killing one after another. I didn't care how many hit me, as long as they were distracted from Link.

I managed to grab the attention of the pack after I killed two of its members at once. They focused on me, and that was their mistake. Link came from behind and started slashing through them just as furiously as I was. In about twenty seconds, the entire pack was gone, leaving behind Rupees, hearts, and another Ornamental Skull.

The Mogma looked at Link and I in bewilderment. "Whoa… You guys took out every last one of 'em…" he said. Link and I ran over to him after picking up our goodies. The Mogma started praising us as soon as we got to him. "You're some tough customers! Thanks for all your help!" he said. I smiled. "It's no problem," I replied. The Mogma looked at us for a second. "I don't blame you guys for not knowing this, but us Mogmas always honor our debts. Let me give you two something to prove it. Any special requests?" he asked. Link thought for a moment. "Well, we do need a way forward to the volcano," he said. The Mogma remembered what Link had said earlier. "Oh, right. You're trying to find your friend, aren'tcha?" he asked. Link and I nodded.

The Mogma smiled. "In that case, take these things! They're something pretty special, if I say so myself," he said. He reached into the ground, and pulled out two pairs of Digging Mitts. Link took a pair, and so did I. I put my pair on. They felt like normal gloves, except the fingers were replaced with huge spikes used for digging. At least they were comfortable.

The Mogma looked at us. "With these, you two should be able to get to the top of that ledge right behind me," he said. He pointed with his thumb, and I looked at the little mound of dirt behind him. "Just try digging in that hole below the ledge. You're in for a surprise!" he said. Link looked at his new Digging Mitts, and ran over to the ledge.

Link started digging as soon as he got in front of the ledge. The mitts cut through the dirt like it was made of butter. After a few seconds of digging, I felt a soft wind come from where Link was. An air hole had appeared, and we could now get up onto the ledge. Link turned to the Mogma, and thanked him. The Mogma smiled. "It's OK. I just hope your friend hasn't been captured by those red guys. Here's hoping everything's OK," he said.

We said goodbye to the Mogma, and turned to leave. Link walked over to the new air hole, and pulled out his Sailcloth. He was blown onto the upper ledge. I did the same, and we walked forward. I spotted another mound of dirt, and tried out my new mitts. I couldn't believe how fast I could dig through holes with these. I found about one Rupee for every second I dug with them.

I collected all of the Rupees I dug up, and Link and I walked down the path on our right. We came to a small cave filled with Pyrups and digging holes, and decided to split up. I found more Rupees, and spotted some Bomb Flowers sitting on the ground. I looked behind me to see two streams of fire coming out of small alcoves on the ground. I picked up a Bomb, and threw it at one of the Pyrups. It was killed following a huge explosion. I killed the other one, and made my way over to Link.

"Let's get out of here, Link. I don't think there's anything else to find," I said. "Okay," he replied. I ran over to another Bomb Flower, and managed to kill the Pyrup blocking our way out of here. After it was dead, Link and I ran forward to find another small digging spot. Link dug in it to reveal another air hole. We rode it upward to find another huge air hole. Link and I jumped in the hole, and we were blown upward, out of the small cave.

We landed back outside the volcano, and started walking around. I spotted a Mogma, and walked up to him. He turned around, noticed us, and screamed. "Whoa! Now there are green ones!" he shouted. "One of your people just came charging through here. Dressed all in black! That a friend of yours?" he asked.

I remained silent, and so did Link. The Mogma looked behind him at a blocked pathway. "See that up ahead? That's what we call a drop-dead dead end, but this character danced right over it. Seriously? Jumping over a gap like that? My jaw hit the dirt," he said. He didn't have anything else to say, so Link and I decided to leave him alone. I walked forward, and threw a Bomb at some rocks in our way, clearing a path back to where we started.

Link and I walked back to the Mogma, and turned right. We came to the "drop-dead dead end" the Mogma mentioned. Link started thinking of ways to get over it, but he stopped talking when he heard a noise. The bridge between the dead-end suddenly slid into place, and Link and I could advance. After the bridge repaired itself, I heard a female voice speak. "You two, the goddess's chosen heroes…" it said. Link and I looked up to see who had spoken. Young Impa was standing on the archway above us.

I wanted to start asking questions to her, but I remembered what Impa told me to do if I met her younger self. I knew I would mess things up if I started asking questions, so I let Young Impa continue with her speech. Luckily, she didn't have much else to say. "Zelda is ahead…Hurry," she said. Impa then turned around and jumped off of the archway like a ninja.

Link turned to me. "Who in Hylia's name was that?" he asked. _"Oh, goody. More playing dumb," _I thought. I turned to Link, and delivered a lie. "I honestly don't know, Link. You don't think she could be with Ghirahim, do you?" I asked. Link looked down the new path. "No, I don't think she would tell us Zelda was ahead if she was with Ghirahim. It's strange, actually. I feel like I've seen her before," he said.

"_Well then, Link, you are way more observant than I am," _I thought. During my first playthrough of Skyward Sword, I didn't catch that Impa was the woman at the Sealed Grounds until it was revealed at the end. I didn't catch any other major plot twists until they happened, either. For example, when I found out Zelda was actually the Goddess Hylia, I sat in front of my TV in shock for ten minutes without pressing anything.

I shook those thoughts out of my head, and Link and I ran across the bridge. I came to a Bird Statue, and prayed at it. Then, Link and I walked into the tunnel before us, starting our ascent of Eldin Volcano.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review or PM me if you have a question. Also, remember that the poll about Jack is still going on, so remember to vote as well! Anyway, see you all next chapter! Bye! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter Seventeen! It's from Samuel's POV, and it will end with Samuel and Link going into the Earth Temple. I'm sorry if it seemed like this chapter was late getting published, but I have other things to do right now, like school. So, sorry about that. :(  
**

**Also, I have some bad-ish news. I've decided that I'm going to close the poll about freeing Jack. As of typing these notes, there is a total of only four votes on the poll. Plus, the four votes are a dead tie, with 2 votes for Jack being freed earlier, and 2 votes for later. So, I'm just going to close the poll now, and I'll decide when Jack is freed on my own.**

**Anyway, now that all of that stuff is out of the way, here's Chapter Seventeen! Remember to review on the way out, and enjoy!**

**Chapter Seventeen: Climbing Eldin Volcano and Finding Key Pieces **

Link and I ran through a tunnel with some Fire Keese in it. After killing them, we jumped over a platform and ended up at the bottom of a steep slope leading up the volcano. I stood there for a second, looking at the top of the slope. There was a Bokoblin standing on a metal platform about halfway up the slope, but it didn't pose much of a threat. "Let's go, Link," I said. He nodded, and we charged up the slope.

We came to the platform with the Bokoblin on it. I took out my sword and slashed at the Bokoblin, sending it down the slope. I smiled. "See you later," I said. Link took a look at the top of the slope, and saw another Bokoblin holding a rock over its head. I jumped off of the platform, and ran to the left side of the slope. There were a couple of digging holes there, so I dug them up to find some Rupees and Deku Seeds.

I ran back to Link and handed him some of the Deku Seeds I found, just in case he was running low. He put them in his pouch. "Okay, Samuel. Let's go get that Bokoblin with the boulder," Link said. I nodded, and we ran towards the Bokoblin.

When Link and I were about ten feet away from the monster, it threw its boulder at us. Luckily, it missed us both. Link made it to the ledge first, and tried to climb it. However, Link didn't have enough time to climb up all the way, and the Bokoblin hit him with its club. Link was knocked over on his back, and couldn't get up in time. He slid back down the slope. "Ahhh! Samuel, kill that damn thing for me!" he shouted as he passed me. I stopped in my tracks, and suddenly remembered I had a Slingshot.

I facepalmed. _"Wow, I'm so dumb. I forgot that you have to shoot these things," _I thought. I slid down the slope, and met up with Link on the metal platform. "Hey, Link. You okay?" I asked. Link stood up, and looked himself over. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just got caught off guard. That Bokoblin is really fast," he replied. I looked back at the Bokoblin, and pulled out my Slingshot. Link facepalmed when he realized what we had to do. "Wow. Why didn't I think of that before?" he muttered. I chuckled, then I took out some Deku Seeds. I aimed at the Bokoblin, and started shooting at it. After a few shots, I hit it dead on. The boulder that it was holding fell on its head, crushing it to death.

"Yes!" I shouted. The boulder rolled down the slope, and Link and I dodged it easily. We ran back up the slope, and finally climbed the ledge. There was a Rupee sitting where the Bokoblin had been before, and Link picked it up. After he did, I heard a screech, and I looked to my right. There were three more Bokoblins standing inside tents made of wood and metal. They charged straight at us, so we took out our swords and slashed back at them. They were dead in seconds.

After the monsters were dead, I heard another Bokoblin blow on a Monster Horn from atop a tower. "Come on! How many of these things do we have to fight?" Link shouted, obviously tired at killing Bokoblins. I put my sword away, and walked over to him. "Don't worry, Link. I don't think any more Bokoblins will come after us," I said. After a few moments, Link put his sword away as well. "Well, now what?" he asked. I looked at a wall behind me. I knew there were forty Rupees sitting behind the wall, so I decided to go get them. "Now, let's get some free money," I replied. I picked up a Bomb Flower, and ran over to the wall. I set the Bomb down, and took a few steps away from it.

The Bomb blew up after a few seconds, revealing two red Rupees. Link looked surprised. He turned to me. "You know, one day you're-" he started to say. But, I cut him off. "Going to tell you how I know where all of these secret things are? I'll give you the same answer I gave you before, Link: You'll learn later, not now," I replied. Link scoffed at me. "Whatever, Samuel. I just hope you know you can't evade the question forever," he said.

I nodded, and walked over to the Rupees. "Yes, I know I can't evade the question forever. But for now, I'll keep the answer to myself, and leave you guessing. It's more fun that way," I said. I picked up the two red Rupees, and ran back to Link. I handed him one of the Rupees, and put the other one in my , I looked at the Bokoblin standing on the tower. "Now, let's get rid of him," I said. Link nodded, and picked up another Bomb Flower. It started smoking, so Link ran over to the tower, and threw his Bomb at it. The Bomb smoked for a few more seconds, then it exploded. The tower fell over, and the Bokoblin screamed all the way down.

"Timber!" I shouted. The tower fell completely over, and formed a bridge that Link and I could use to cross to the other side. Link looked at how the tower had fallen, and laughed. "Well, that's convenient," he said. I nodded, and we crossed the tower. We came to a vine wall, but before we climbed it, we picked up some hearts. Link picked up an Amber Relic as well, and put it in his pouch.

After getting all of the goodies, Link and I climbed the vine wall. When we got to the top, I noticed some Volcanic Ladybugs scuttling on a wall to our left. I took my Bug Net out of my pouch, caught the bugs, and put them into my pouch for later. Then, I put my net away, and Link and I walked down the path on our right.

While we were walking, Link started to ask me about Impa again. But, he was cut short. "So, about that weird girl we met before. Who do you think she—ahh!" he said. A red Chuchu suddenly sprung up right in front of Link. He didn't have enough time to pull out his sword, and was sucked into the monster. He screamed in pain. "Ahhh! Hot, hot, hot!" he screamed, struggling to free himself. I pulled out my own sword, and waited for Link to get free. As soon as he freed himself, I slashed at the Chuchu until it was completely gone. Link looked at me, and thanked me. "Thanks," he said. I looked him over. Now, he was even more burned than before. "Are you okay?" I asked. Link nodded. "I'm fine. That thing just startled me," he replied.

I nodded. "Okay, then. If you're fine, let's keep going. The Earth Temple is just on top of the slope ahead," I said, pointing in that direction. Link looked up the slope, and noticed some more Bokoblins. "Let's go," he said. We each grabbed a Stamina Fruit, and ran up the slope. I called out to Link. "Hey, Link! Let's split up!" I shouted. He nodded. "Okay," he replied.

I took the platform on the right, and Link took the platform on the left. Each one had a Bokoblin on it. When I got to my platform, I killed the Bokoblin standing there. I heard a screech, and looked back up the slope. More Bokoblins were standing on platforms high above us, and one was holding a boulder. It threw the boulder at me, but I dodged it easily.

I looked over at Link. He had killed his Bokoblin as well, so I turned away from him and looked at the other Bokoblins again. I ran at them, and Link followed me. We made it to the platform, and managed to kill all of the Bokoblins. However, I failed to notice there were three boulders coming down the hill. One of them was about to hit Link, so I called out to him.

"Link, look out!" I shouted. He turned towards the boulders, and shouted in surprise. He dove out of the way, and dodged all of them. But, my warning hadn't left me with enough time to dodge the boulders. One of them hit me dead on, and I was pushed off of the platform. I landed on my back, and started to slide down the hill, away from Link. "Link! Kill those things before you come and get me!" I shouted. I slid down to the next set of platforms, and managed to get back on my feet.

I looked myself over. I had a scratch on my arm where the boulder hit me, but there was nothing else. I looked up at Link. He had his Slingshot out, and was shooting at the Bokoblins on the ledge. One was already dead, and Link had just hit another. The Bokoblin was stunned by Link's Deku Seed, and dropped its boulder, squishing itself to death. I ran back up to Link, and told him to stop shooting at the Bokoblins. "I don't think you need to waste any more of your ammo, Link. We can kill that last one easily enough," I said. Link turned around, and put his Slingshot back in his pouch.

"Okay. How are you? How badly did you get hurt?" he asked. I showed him my arm. It was still bleeding slightly, but I was lucky that it wasn't broken. "I'm fine. My arm should be good for now. If it gets worse, I'll drink some Heart Potion," I said. Link nodded, and we ran up the slope to meet the Bokoblin. I took out my sword, and sent it down the slope.

After the Bokoblin was gone, Link tapped my shoulder. I winced in pain. "What is it?" I asked. Link pointed to his left. "Sorry. I just wanted you to see something," he replied. I looked at where Link was pointing, and saw two Mogmas sitting in the dirt. One of the Mogmas was Ledd, but I forgot the other one's name. Ledd started to speak to his friend. "Hmm… I'm sure they buried it around here someplace, but I can't find it," he said. The other Mogma spoke back. "Yo, Ledd! This is the place, ain't it? So what is it they buried again?" he asked.

"A key! K-E-Y, KEY! They busted up the key to that place and hid the pieces all over the place. I'm telling you, one of the five pieces is right round here," Ledd replied. The other Mogma thought for a second. "Hey, that reminds me… That strange blond girl in the weird clothes got taken away too," he said. Ledd interrupted him. "That's right! I bet they got something really valuable stashed in there. And that blonde girl they took is probably part of their master plan too. I'm telling you, I can smell the riches from here!" he shouted.

"So what're you saying we do once we find all the pieces to the key?" the other Mogma asked. Ledd scoffed. "Whaddya think, igneous? We sneak inside and take all the treasure we can carry!" he replied. "Ledd's friend thought for a moment. "Hey…Why are we so worried about a key when we can just dig our way in?" he asked. Ledd looked surprised. "What? Um…" he started. "Just sayin'," the other Mogma added. Ledd crossed his arms, and smiled. "You ain't as dumb as you look!" he said. After that, the two Mogmas tunneled into the dirt, and were out of sight.

Link looked at me, and started to ask about what we had just heard. However, Fi came out of his sword to talk with us. "Masters, I require your confirmation on critical information obtained from that Mogma conversation. The oddly garbed figure taken deeper into the region must be…" she started. I knew it was Zelda, but Link thought otherwise. "Um...the woman in black?" he asked. I facepalmed.

"The woman in black? The probability of your assessment being correct is…10%. Rounded up," Fi replied. "I conclude the subject was likely Zelda. Additionally, I calculate there is a 95% probability that the key to this door is made of the same material composition as this mechanism that bars it. I have detected objects of the same material in the surrounding area," she said.

I spoke up. "So, does that mean we can dowse for them, and find them easier?" I asked. Fi nodded. "Correct, Master Samuel. I have registered them as dowsing targets," she replied. Then, Fi went back into Link's sword, and Link turned to me. "Great. More dowsing. Do you want to split up for a bit?" he asked. "Sure," I replied. We took out our swords, and I started thinking of the key pieces. After a few seconds, I heard beeping coming off of my sword.

"See you later, Link," I said. I knew that there was a key piece directly to my left, so I walked over to it. The beeping grew louder until I was right on top of it. I took out my Digging Mitts, and dug into the ground. However, after about ten seconds of digging, I still couldn't find the piece. I looked behind me. Link was getting the piece where you needed to roll a Bomb down the slope, so I knew he couldn't see me.

I put my mitts back in my pouch, and decided to use magic to get the key piece instead. I held my hand to the ground, and concentrated on the peice. After a few seconds of concentration, the key piece flew out of the ground into my hand. I smiled. _"One down, four to go," _I thought. I took out my sword to dowse again, even though I knew the next piece was close by. I followed the beeping until I came to some Bomb Flowers on the ground.

I looked down, and saw a tower hiding the next key piece. I picked up a Bomb, and threw it down the slope. It rolled until it was against the tower. After a few seconds, the Bomb exploded, and the tower fell over, revealing the next digging spot. After the explosion, I held out my hand, and concentrated hard. After a few seconds, the key piece popped out of the ground, and flew towards me at about twenty miles an hour. I caught it, and put it in my pouch. _"Two down," _I thought.

As I was walking back to the door, I remembered that there was a Goddess Cube I could get. So, I walked over to a digging spot, and dug it up to reveal an air hole. I picked up a Bomb Flower, and ran back to the air hole. I threw the Bomb into it, and it was blown upward. The Bomb landed in front of a pile of rocks, and blew up, revealing a Goddess Cube. I took out my Sailcloth, and ran inside the air hole. The air caught on my Sailcloth, and I landed in front of the Goddess Cube. I took out my sword, charged a Skyward Strike, and sent the cube to the sky.

After getting the cube, I ran back to the front of the Earth Temple. Link was standing there, waiting for me. "How many pieces did you get?" he asked. I took out my two pieces, and showed them to Link. "I got two pieces, and a Goddess Cube," I replied. I put the pieces back in my pouch, and asked him the same question. "How many did you get?" I asked. Link frowned, and took out a single key piece. "I only got one. It took me forever to throw that stupid Bomb the right way," he replied. I laughed. _"Don't worry about it, Link. It took me forever my first time too,"_ I thought.

"Okay, then. Three down, two to go. Let's go get those other pieces," I said. We walked over to the right of the Earth Temple. The little camp that the Bokoblins were supposed to be in was empty, and the tower was already knocked over. I turned to Link, and acted like I was hurt. "Aww, Link, you killed the Bokoblins without me! I was looking forward to that!" I said sarcastically. Link laughed. "Don't worry, Samuel. I promise I won't leave you out next time," he said.

"Okay. Just so you know, I can't bear it if I go thirty minutes without killing something," I said, laughing as I said it. Link and I ran across the tower, and entered a small cave filled with Fire Keese. They all swooped down at us at once. We slashed at them with our swords, and they were dead in seconds. After killing the Keese, we continued through the cave. We walked out of it, and were in front of another "drop-dead dead end." However, there was a little ledge on our left that we could shimmy across.

In front of the ledge was a small digging hole, so I dug in it to find some Eldin Ore. Link and I shimmied across the small ledge, and climbed up some more ledges after that. Link and I continued forward, and we stared at the obstacle in front of us: a vine wall above an endless abyss. If there was one mistake, I knew we would be dead. And, I don't think my Fairy would work on me if I was splattered on the ground.

I knew we eventually had to jump across the abyss, but I felt the urge to prolong it for as long as we could. After standing at the edge for what seemed like forever, I heard Link's voice snap me out of my thoughts. "Are you ready, Samuel?" he asked. I turned to him, and smiled. "I was born ready, Link," I replied. "I'll go first, I guess," I added. Link nodded, and backed out of my way. I backed up a few steps, and took a couple deep breaths. "See you later, Link," I said. Then, I ran forward and jumped off of the ledge.

I smacked into the vine wall, and grabbed on for dear life. I managed to get a good hold on the wall, and started to climb to my right. Every inch I moved drained me of energy. I swear to Din that I was about to fall off when I came to the Stamina Fruit. I reached out, grabbed it, and ate it as fast as I could. As soon as I swallowed the fruit, I knew I was filled with enough energy to make my way up the wall. I got to the ledge, and jumped onto safe ground.

"Yes!" I said. I was safe. I literally sank to my knees, and rejoiced until Link was safely on the platform with me. When he was safe, he started to laugh at me. "Wow, Samuel. I didn't know you wanted to survive climbing a wall this much," he said. I stood up, and gave him a look. "Yeah, but you didn't almost fall to your death the last time you were over an abyss, Link. I'm lucky to be alive right now," I said. He nodded, and we made our way into the next room.

As soon as we were in the room, I ran over to a floor switch, and stepped on it. I heard a rumble behind me, and turned around. The bridge from the dead end slid into place so that Link and I could make our way back to the Earth Temple. After that, Link and I walked over to some digging holes, and dug them up. I found some Rupees, and Link found some bugs. After getting all of the goodies in that room, we ran forward. As we approached the room, I noticed the temperature kept getting hotter and hotter.

I turned to Link, and warned him. "Hey, Link. Don't go left when we get into this room. You might catch on fire for a second, but we need to go to the right to get the key piece," I said. He nodded. "Thanks for telling me that," he replied. When we ran into the room, we immediately went right. I felt my tunic catch on fire for a second. _"Man, I wish I could have those Fireshield Earrings_ _right now," _I thought. Fortunately, Link and I weren't damaged by the flames, and we made it out of the room safely.

We ran out of the room, and jumped onto a sliding path. Link and I slid down the path for a few seconds, and I turned to him. "Hey, Link! Follow me when we come out of this tunnel! I know the right way!" I said. Link nodded. After a few more seconds of sliding, we came to a giant hole. Link and I started to slide down another path with lots of twists and turns in it. I slid to an air hole on the right, and was blown upward by the draft. I landed on solid ground, and Link joined me.

We were standing on a rock with a digging spot on it. "Is this where the key piece is, Samuel?" Link asked. I shook my head. "No, I just wanted you to get something here first. What potions do you have right now, Link?" I asked. He checked his pouch. "I've got a Heart Potion and a Revitalizing Potion," he replied. I nodded. "Okay. Go ahead and use your Revitalizing Potion. You won't need it as much as what you're about to get," I said.

Link looked slightly confused, but he took out his Revitalizing Potion, and took the cork stopper off. He drank half of the potion, and poured the other half of it on his Iron Shield. After a few seconds, Link's shield looked brand-new, and he was now holding an Empty Bottle. I looked down at the digging hole near my feet. "Okay, Link. I'm going to dig in this hole, and I want you to try and trap the thing that comes out in your bottle. Got it?" I asked. He nodded.

"Okay," I said. I took out my Digging Mitts, and dug inside the hole. A Fairy popped out of the hole, and started to fly around. Link took his bottle and swiped at the Fairy. After a few tries, he managed to encase it in the bottle, and put the stopper back on. He looked at the Fairy with a confused look. "What's this?" he asked. I pulled out my own Fairy, and showed it to Link. "It's a Fairy. If you die, the Fairy will bring you back to life, and restore some of your energy," I said.

"Really?" Link asked. He looked at the Fairy again. "That's amazing," he said. I nodded, and put my Fairy back in my pouch. Link put his back as well, and I spoke up. "Now, let's go get those key pieces," I said. Link nodded, and we jumped onto the sliding path again. We went down the path on our right, and spotted a ledge on our left. I slid down to it, and Link followed.

We stood up, and looked ahead. There were two air geysers in front of us, but they were alternating from being on and off. Normally, I knew I would have to time the jump. But, since I had magic, I decided to use it to get the piece and not risk timing the geysers wrong. I turned to Link, and told him to go ahead of me. "Link, there's a key piece over there. I'll get it, and you go ahead of me to get the other one. It should be somewhere in a cave," I said. Link nodded, and jumped back on the slide. After Link was gone, I held out my hand, and concentrated hard. After a few seconds of concentration, the key piece flew out from underneath the dirt, and into my hand. I put the key piece in my pouch, and jumped back onto the slide to meet up with Link.

When I came out of the slide, there was a path on my right. I could see Link walking out of the room where the final key piece was, so I ran up to him. "Did you get it?" I asked. He nodded, and held up the final key piece. "Yeah, I got it. Now we can finally get into the temple," he said. I nodded. "Let's go, then," I said. We ran to our right, and used a huge air hole to make our way back to the drop-dead dead end. I noticed there was a Blessed Butterfly on the way back, so I caught it.

Link and I eventually made it to the door of the Earth Temple, and we took out our key pieces. We inserted all five of them into the lock, and it spun around. The huge door slowly opened, revealing our way into the Earth Temple. A hot wind blew from inside the temple, and Link and I had to shield ourselves with our arms. I looked over at Link. "You ready, Link?" I asked. He smiled. "I was born ready, Samuel," he replied. Together, we walked into the Earth Temple.

**Well, what did you guys think of this chapter? Did you enjoy it? Please leave a review telling me what you liked and didn't like. I promise that I'll try and publish the next chapter sooner than this one. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next chapter! Bye! :D**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, readers! Well, it's Chapter Eighteen! It will be from Samuel's POV, and will kick off in the Earth Temple. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Eighteen: I Hope You Two Enjoyed Dying**

Link and I walked down the steps into the Earth Temple. The Earth Temple was somehow even hotter than it was outside; sweat started pouring off of my face. I looked around; there were some small pathways leading to other parts of the temple, but most of the ground was covered in lava. I saw some Fire Keese flying around, but not much else. I turned to Link, and saw that he was sweating just as hard as I was. "Okay, I take it back. I wasn't born ready for this," he said.

He wiped some sweat off of his forehead, and I spoke up. "Come on, Link. Let's get through here as fast as we can, or we'll waste our Fairies dying from a heatstroke," I said. Link chuckled. We ran forward, and jumped across some platforms floating in lava. When we were safely on the other side, a Chuchu sprang up in front of us. I pulled out my sword, and killed it. Link walked over to a digging spot, and dug up an air hole that led to a chest. However, he didn't pull out his Sailcloth. Instead, he stuck his head inside the air, and sighed with relief. He turned to me. "Samuel, this air is cold! Come see!" he shouted.

I ran over to Link, and stuck my head into the steady stream of air. I almost fainted from the relief I experienced. The air hole felt like an upside-down, ice cold hair dryer. It felt amazing. After spending the last few hours trekking through an active volcano, this was complete paradise. It sucked so much that none of the other air holes from before were cold like this one. Link and I stood there for a minute, taking it all in.

After the relief wore off, we pulled our heads out from the air hole. "Wow, that felt amazing," I said. Link nodded. "Yeah, it sure did," he replied. He looked upward, and noticed the chest. "Hey! I think I see something," he said. Link ran into the air hole, and was blown upward. He opened the chest, and pocketed the money inside. Then, Link jumped down from the platform, and landed next to me. "Okay, let's keep going, or I'll be tempted to spend all day near this air hole," he said. I laughed, and we continued through the temple. We crossed some more platforms, and killed a couple of Fire Keese along the way.

We jumped back onto solid ground, and came to a closed drawbridge. There were some switches on our left and right, so we hit them with our swords. The drawbridge lowered a little bit, but not all the way. I wondered why the drawbridge didn't open. Then, I looked forward, and noticed a switch to the right of the drawbridge. I facepalmed. "Wow, I can't believe I forgot about that one," I said. I took out my Beetle, and sent it flying toward the switch. It smacked into the switch, and the drawbridge was lowered all of the way down.

I put my Beetle away, and Link and I started to walk across the drawbridge. However, after we made it halfway across the bridge, Fi came out of Link's sword to talk with us. "Masters, I am detecting new enemies ahead. They appear to be creatures of very significant physical ability. If you need information, call me. I will share any data I have on that enemy," she said.

Fi went back into Link's sword, and we looked ahead of us. I could see a Lizalfos ahead, and knew things were about to get rough. I took out my Iron Shield, and strapped it to my arm. I would need it a lot in the next couple of minutes. Link saw me take out my shield, and took out his as well. We pulled out our swords, and Link spoke up. "Can you give me a quick explanation of what that is? No offense to Fi, but I don't need a huge seminar on every enemy we encounter," he said.

I nodded, and told Link about the Lizalfos. "Sure. That's a Lizalfos. It has a rock on one of its arms, which functions as a shield. Keep your own shield up, because it'll try to attack you with its spiked tail. After it swings at you, just try and swing your sword the right way. Oh, and I almost forgot: it can spit fire, so that's another reason to keep your shield up. That's about it," I said. Link looked at the Lizalfos again. "Okay, then. Let's go kill it," he said. I nodded, and we ran toward the Lizalfos.

We walked onto the platform where the Lizalfos was, and it charged at us. I ran forward to meet it. The Lizalfos tried to hit me with its tail, but I brought my shield up to block. I quickly slashed at the Lizalfos with my sword, but it dodged my blade with plenty of time to spare.

The Lizalfos uttered a weird sound, and I tried to back away from it before it punched me in my face. However, I was too slow, and the Lizalfos brought its rock covered arm up to my jaw in an uppercut. I was lifted into the air, and landed five feet away. My face hurt, but I tried not to notice. It uttered the same sound as before, and I gasped. It was going to burn me to a crisp if I didn't react fast enough. I looked back at the Lizalfos just in time to see flames jet out of its mouth. I managed to bring my shield up just in time, and was saved.

After the flame attack, I turned to Link. "Okay, Link, new tip: Don't do what I just did, and you'll be fine," I said. I stood up. I felt my face, and thanked the Goddesses that nothing was broken. Link approached the Lizalfos, and it turned around to face him. It tried to hit Link with its tail, but he blocked it with his shield. He slashed at the monster, and managed to get a couple of hits on it.

I pulled my sword back out, and ran forward to help Link. Together, we managed to drive the Lizalfos to the edge of the platform. I gave it one last slash, and it was knocked into the lava. I looked back at Link, caught my breath, and spoke up. "Wow. That was way harder than I thought it would be," I said. Link nodded. "Yeah, you're lucky your jaw didn't break. That punch looked nasty. Are you sure you don't need to stop for a little bit?" he asked. I shook my head, and Link stared at me for a second. "Whatever you say, then," he said.

I walked to the left side of the platform and picked up an Amber Relic. After that, I looked forward. There was a huge chunk of rock sitting in the lava. I saw that it was covered in bombs, and pulled out my Beetle. "Hey, Link. Look over there," I said. I pointed to the rock, and sent my Beetle at it. My Beetle crashed into a Bomb Flower, and the statue blew up. Its eyes fell out, and floated over to us.

Link and I climbed up onto the eyes. I stood in the middle of my eye, and started walking on it. The eye moved forward, and I started to steadily move across the lava. I walked my eye over to a platform, and jumped off. I looked over at Link. He was right behind me. Link got off of his eye, and walked over to me. We started walking forward, but a couple of Chuchus sprang up in front of us, so we killed them. After they were dead, Link and I continued forward.

There was another eye floating in the lava. Only one of us could fit on it, so I volunteered to do the next part of the temple by myself. Link walked over to a set of steps, sat down, and thanked me. "Thanks a lot, Samuel. I'll do the next part of the temple, okay?" he offered. I nodded, and said goodbye to him. Then, I jumped onto the eye. I rode it over to a switch on my right, and pressed it in. When I did, a platform rose up out of the lava. I knew there was one more switch I had to hit, but it was all the way on the other side of the room. I navigated my eye through the room, and squished a good number of Spume along the way.

After a few minutes of walking around on my eye, I noticed Ledd sitting in the dirt on a platform. I walked my eye over to where he was, and ran over to him. Ledd was muttering to himself. "Blast! I must have dropped them earlier…" he muttered. He then noticed I was standing five feet away. "Hey! Nice timing, pal. It's me, Ledd! You showing up here must mean we're connected somehow. You know, like fate or something," he said. I nodded, and spoke back to him. "Is there anything you need help with?" I asked.

Ledd held his chin, and smiled. "Yeah, there is something you could help me out with, now that you mention it. Would you do me a favor and get my Bomb Bags?" he asked. I nodded. "Sure, I guess I can get them easily enough. Where did you lose them?" I asked, even though I knew the answer. Ledd pointed to a pile of rocks. "I was behind that rock looking for treasure when those creeps showed up. I panicked and hit the road, but it looks like I dropped them," he replied. He started to explain what a Bomb Bag was, but I stopped him. "Yeah, I already know what a Bomb Bag is," I said.

Ledd looked at me. "Oh. Well, anyway, they're back there…" he said, pointing to the rocks again. I knew I needed to blow up the rocks to get Ledd's Bomb Bags back, so I ran over to a metal gate on my left, and crawled through a small hole. When I got up, there was a Bokoblin standing in front of me, so I killed it. After it was dead, I walked over to a ladder and climbed it. There were some digging holes in front of me, so I dug up the hole on my left to get some Rupees. I knew there was a Fairy in the hole on my right, so I didn't dig up that one. I decided to leave it there in case I needed it later.

I jumped down onto the ground, and picked up a Bomb Flower. Then, I ran back to the hole, and rolled my Bomb through it. The Bomb stopped near the rock wall, and blew up, revealing a door. I crawled back through the hole, and ran over to the door I'd uncovered. I felt prepared to fight the two Lizalfos inside the room, so I opened the door and walked inside.

As soon as I was inside the room, the door shut behind me, and bars covered the entrance. _"No surprise there," _I thought. I looked ahead, and saw the two Lizalfos standing in front of me, daring me to come forward. I gulped. _"Well, Sam. You've lived a pretty good life," _I thought. I ran forward, and jumped onto the platform.

Both Lizalfos walked towards me, ready to fight. I pulled out my sword, and charged forward to meet them. I slashed in between the two monsters, and they had no choice but to split up. I concentrated on the Lizalfos on my right, and ran up to him. I slashed at the monster, and managed to score a couple hits on it. I noticed the other Lizalfos was running towards me from behind, so I held up my shield to block its attack. Its arm guard hit my shield, and I turned back to the other Lizalfos. It tried to hit me with its tail, but I blocked that attack as well.

"_Okay, Samuel. You're doing fine," _I thought. I ran at the Lizalfos, and swung my sword. It blocked my sword with its arm guard, leaving the other side of its body exposed to attack. I quickly swung my sword the other way, and delivered another blow to the monster. It was stunned by my attack, so I kept slashing at it until it jumped backward. The Lizalfos uttered a sound, and started to breathe fire at me. Once again, I held up my shield to block the flames.

After the Lizalfos was done with its flame attack, I backed away from the both of the monsters to catch my breath. I guess I took too long, because one of the Lizalfos ran toward me when I wasn't expecting it to. I was caught off guard, and it hit me with its spiked tail. The tail hit the side of my body, and I was sent backward a few feet. I stood back up, and noticed that there was a gash in my side. It was bleeding, and it hurt so much that I almost fell over from the pain.

I looked back towards the Lizalfos that delivered the blow; it was charging another flame attack. _"Crap," _I thought. I tried to dodge the attack, but the flames still managed to get me because I couldn't move fast enough. Luckily, I wasn't burned badly; only my shoulder was damaged. However, my tunic caught on fire for a second. _"Ow! Hot!" _I thought. I did a roll, which put out the flames. My roll landed me right in front of the Lizalfos, and I was ready to fight back.

I swung my sword at the monster. It dodged my strike, and tried to counter with its tail. The tail hit my sword, and it was knocked out of my hands. It was sent flying across the room, and clattered to the ground. _"Oh, come on! Are you freaking kidding me?"_ I thought. I tried to summon my sword using magic, but it didn't work. Maybe I was injured too much, or maybe I wasn't concentrating hard enough, but my sword remained on the ground. I wasted my time trying to summon my sword, opening myself for another attack. The Lizalfos punched me with its arm-guarded hand again, and I was sent across the room.

There was good news and bad news. The good news was that I landed right next to my sword. The bad news was that every part of my body ached with pain. My side was bleeding, my shoulder was burned, and my chest hurt from the punch I'd just received. I hadn't even killed one of the Lizalfos yet, and I didn't know if I had the strength to continue. I decided to give it one last go, and tried to sit up. However, I couldn't even do that. I fell backward, and my vision started to blur.

I felt too weak to fight anymore. I honestly didn't have the strength to get back up. _"Well, Samuel, I guess this is it. You gave it your best shot, but I guess it just wasn't enough. It looks like this is your time,"_ I thought. My life literally started to flash before my eyes. I saw my school years, and every major experience that happened during them. I saw my family and friends one last time. I saw everything that had happened in my life in a matter of seconds.

I saw everything that happened in my adventure so far. I saw the moment I'd arrived in Skyloft, only a few days ago. I saw myself freaking out about my new ears. I saw myself jumping off the stairs near the Knight Academy into the sky. I saw myself holding a sword to Groose's neck. I saw Gaepora, Zelda, Fi, and Impa. I saw myself riding Zelda's Loftwing towards Faron Woods. I saw Jack and Ghirahim in the Skyview Temple boss room. I saw everything that had happened in Eldin Volcano today. The last thing I saw was Link, sitting on the stairs, waiting for me to come back.

"_I'm so sorry, Link. You'll just have to complete the rest of the journey without me. I tried my hardest, but I just wasn't good enough," _I thought. I laid there for a moment, struggling to breathe, and suddenly remembered something. _"Wait a minute. Why isn't my Fairy reviving me? It should definitely have revived me by now," _I thought. I waited for my Fairy to come out of its bottle, but it never did. I eventually looked towards the ceiling, and gave up hope. My vision started to darken, so I closed my eyes, and waited for death to take ahold of me. _"Goodbye," _was my last thought. I felt the strength leave my body, and I knew no more.

When I regained consciousness, I felt different. I felt light, and completely weightless. I didn't know where I was, but it was quiet. I opened my eyes, and looked around. There was some sort of white mist swirling all around me, and there was nothing else. I looked down at my body, and I received a couple of shocks. I saw that my body was completely transparent, for one thing. Also, for some strange reason, I didn't have clothes on. "_Well_, _I guess you don't exactly need clothes when you're dead,"_ I thought.

I still felt weird, standing there with nothing on. Actually, I wasn't standing on anything solid. Yet, I knew wasn't falling, either. My glasses were gone, but I noticed I could see everything perfectly, even though there wasn't much to see. I reached up, and felt my ears. They were still pointed, for some reason. I looked upward. Nothing was different; I could see nothing but white mist.

"_Is this Heaven? Where am I?" _I thought. I honestly didn't have a clue where I was, so I decided to wait around, and see what would happen. After a few minutes of waiting, I was suddenly blinded by a huge light. I turned away from the light for a few seconds. Then, I looked back up at it. I saw an orb of pure white light floating above me. It seemed to be floating down towards me.

"_What is that? Is that…"_ I thought. I shook my head. _"No. It can't be," _I thought. The light came closer and closer to my body. Eventually, it was right in front of my face. I was hesitant, but I reached out, and touched the light. It felt warm to the touch, and it was really comforting. I pulled my hand away from the light, and stared at it for a few more seconds. Suddenly, the light changed. It changed in color until it had a red tint to it. Then, the light grew white wings, and I gasped.

The Fairy in front of me suddenly flew down towards my feet. It started to circle my legs, moving upward. As the Fairy revolved around my body, I started to feel different. I looked down at myself, and noticed that I was solid again. I didn't feel weightless anymore. I looked back up. The Fairy circled my body a few more times, and eventually finished its job. It stopped in front of my face, and stayed there, wings fluttering. I reached out to touch the Fairy again, but it vanished from sight.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was being thrown forward at the speed of light. I sped up, going faster and faster until I was slammed into the ground. I took a deep breath, and sat up. I was back in the Earth Temple. My sword was sitting next to me, and there were two Lizalfos on the other side of the room. I looked down at my body. I had all of my clothes back on. My Iron Shield was strapped to my left arm, and my Adventure Pouch was strapped to my belt.

I looked inside my pouch. There were two bottles in it. One held some Heart Potion, and the other was completely empty. My Fairy was gone. I stood back up, and noticed that all of the damage I had taken before was completely gone as well. My shoulder didn't burn anymore, my side wasn't bleeding, and my chest felt normal. I was completely healed.

I bent over, and picked up my sword. I held it in my hands for a few seconds, and looked back toward the two Lizalfos. I didn't stop to think, and ran straight at them. I went completely mental on them, and they were no match for me. I slashed at one of them, managing to get a hit on it. The Lizalfos was stunned by my strike, and I continued slashing at it over and over. I delivered a final strike to the Lizalfos, and it was sent backward several feet. It uttered a final sound of pain, and died.

I turned to see the other Lizalfos trying to hit me with its tail. I brought up my shield, and blocked its attack. Then, I ran forward, and started slashing at the Lizalfos, one slash after the other. My final strike sent the Lizalfos flying backwards into the wall. It hit the wall, fell forward, and died. In its place were a Lizard Tail and a heart.

"_Well, I hope you two enjoyed dying as much as I did," _I thought. I walked forward, and picked up the goodies. Then, I heard a sound, and turned to see the bars sliding off of the door. I knew there was still something I had to collect, and walked to the middle of the room just in time for a chest to appear.

Inside the chest were Ledd's Bomb Bags. I picked them up, and put them in my pouch. I stood in the middle of the room, and caught my breath. I was shaken up from my death, but overall I felt alright, thanks to my Fairy. After a minute of waiting, I ran towards the door, and I walked out of the room.

**Well, what did you guys think? Did you like this chapter? Did you think the death part was weird at all? I actually had to rewrite it a couple times because it kept turning out weird. It's still weird, but it's way better than it was before, trust me. ;) Anyway, please leave a review telling me what you liked and didn't like. Criticism is appreciated, but please don't flame. Anyway, see you all next chapter! Bye! :D **


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter Nineteen! As always, thanks to everyone who has R&R'd, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up. Also, I don't own Call of Duty or Xbox, Activision and Microsoft do, respectively. Let me see, is that it? Oh, yeah. I also don't own Indiana Jones, Lucasfilm Ltd. does. There we go. That's it.**

**Chapter Nineteen: Indiana Jones Has Got Nothing On Us**

Ledd was waiting for me when I came out of the room. I walked over to him, and he shouted with joy. "Heyyyyy! You found my Bomb Bags! Sorry to put you through that. I guess I owe you one now! So let me have them…" he said. Ledd held his hand forward to collect the bags, but I shook my head, and told him off. "Oh, no you don't. I need these bags to get further in the temple. On top of that, I just freaking _died_ to get them, so I'm not letting them out of my sight. And besides, you just said you owed me one, so this'll be it. Your favor to me is that I keep these bags," I said.

Ledd looked surprised. "What's this, now? You want to borrow them so you can go deeper into the volcano?" he asked. I nodded, and Ledd smiled. "Oh, right. You and that other guy are looking for your friend. You sure have put yourself out there, getting this far…That reminds me! How's MY pal?" he asked. "Um… he's worried," I replied. Ledd looked touched. "He's worried? About me? What kind of pal am I, putting him through that?" he asked.

Ledd looked back at me. "You must be worried too. Not knowing if you're friend's dead or alive…" he said. "But, I'm not letting you borrow my bags, though. Nope. I'm GIVING them to you! Just don't blow yourself up…" he added. I smiled. "Thanks, Ledd! See you later!" I said. I turned away from Ledd, and crawled through the hole from before. Then, I climbed up the ladder, and caught the Fairy I missed before. I put it in my pouch, and made my way back to the eye in the lava.

I was about to jump onto the eye, but Ledd stopped me. "Hold up! I forgot to tell you something! Knowing me, those bags are probably empty, so let me give you a little something to get you started," he said. He pulled out 10 Bombs, and put 5 in each bag. He explained to me about filling the bag back up, then I left him.

I walked my eye across the lava, and went back to where Link was. When I arrived, I saw Link laying down on the stairs, sleeping. I facepalmed. _"Really, Link? You're seriously sleeping?" _ I thought. I decided, once again, to let him sleep. _"I guess I could get a couple of things done before I wake him up," _I thought. I ran up another flight of stairs, and took a Bomb out of my new bag. I threw it at a rock in my way, and the rock blew up. Then, I jumped across some platforms, and ran forward to meet another Lizalfos.

After my last encounter, I wasn't going to play nice with the Lizalfos. I dodged its tail attack, and slashed at it with my sword until it jumped away from me. Then, I ran forward, and continued my rampage until the Lizalfos died. When it died, I smiled evilly. "That's what you get, you stupid lizard," I muttered. I put my sword away, and walked into the next room.

I looked around the room; there was a Spume in the middle of the room, surrounded by small platforms. I could also see a couple of Bokoblins standing around as well. I pulled out my sword again, and jumped across the platforms. I killed both Bokoblins, and made my way to the back of the room. A platform was being pushed into the air by a lava geyser, so I climbed onto it. I was pushed into the air, and jumped onto solid ground. There were three more Bokoblins to deal with, so I killed them as well.

After the Bokoblins were dead, I walked over to the chest they were guarding, and opened it. Inside were two Dungeon Maps. I put them in my pouch, and ran out of the room. I made my way back to where Link was; he was still sleeping. I wasn't going to waste any time, so I pulled my hand back, and slapped Link across the face, hard. He immediately woke up, whipped out his sword, and ran towards me. Then, he realized it was me, and put his sword away. "Did you really have to slap me across the face that hard?" he asked. I smiled. "Well, I don't think Zelda's Loftwing is going to fly all the way down here just to wake you up. It barely wanted to do it a second time," I replied. Link grimaced. "Well, I'm sorry I fell asleep. It just took you a while to come back, so I decided to rest up for a little bit," he said.

Link stared at me for a second. "So, did I miss anything exciting?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, you sure did. You missed out on me getting some nifty new Bomb Bags and a map," I said sarcastically. I pulled one of the bags and one of the maps out of my pouch, and handed them to Link. He put the map into his pouch, and looked at the Bombs in his new bag. "Oh, and you also missed out on me dying," I mumbled under my breath. Link's face immediately shot up from his new Bomb Bag, and he stared at me with a shocked look on his face. _"Damn it. Stupid Hylian ears," _I thought.

Link started spouting questions nonstop. "WHAT? You _died_? What in Hylia's name happened to you? How did it happen? Where did you go?" he asked. I held up my hand, and Link stopped asking questions. I started to tick off answers on my fingers. "Okay, let's see. One: Yes, I died. Two: I got killed by two Lizalfos. Three: I had them on the ropes, but my sword got knocked out of my hands, and I was caught off guard. I tried to summon my sword using magic, but I guess I was too weak to do it. And four: I don't know exactly where I went. It was some weird place where there was nothing but mist around me. I woke up there, and my Fairy revived me after a few minutes. There, does that answer all of your questions, Link?" I asked.

Link stood there, completely shocked. "You never told me you can do magic, Samuel. Is that how you know how everything is going to happen?" he asked. I facepalmed. I completely forgot that Link didn't know that I could do magic. I looked back at him, and started to explain. "No, Link. That's not how I know what's going to happen, so please stop asking me. I promise I'll tell you eventually, if you honestly want to know the answer. But, that's completely irrelevant right now," I said. I walked over to the staircase, and sat down.

Link walked over to the staircase as well, and sat down beside me. I took a breath, and continued. "I forgot to tell you what happened when I went to bed last night. Jack appeared inside my dream. He told me everything he went through so far, and he also taught me a simple spell. Now, I can summon things from afar if I want to," I said.

Link nodded, and I went on. "But, I don't know what to do about freeing Jack for good. Ghirahim can possess Jack as often as he likes, and there's nothing we can do about it. I went to Sparrot earlier today, and he told me I needed something that I own to free Jack for good. But, I don't think anything I have on me can free Jack. What really sucks is that we're only going to see Jack and Ghirahim for a few moments at the end of the temple. I don't want to tell you what's in store for us, but all I know is that there won't be nearly enough time to free Jack when we get there, unless something I'm not expecting happens. What sucks even more is that we won't be seeing either of them that much after we're done here," I said.

I turned away from Link, and collected my thoughts. _"I need one of two things right now. I need either a stretch of time alone with Evil Jack so I can try and free him myself, or I need the item Sparrot mentioned._ _And I don't think I'm going to get the first one without Jack trying to kill me," _I thought. I still didn't have a clue what the item Sparrot mentioned was. But, I promised Jack that I would try and free him as soon as I got the chance. I honestly didn't know what to do next.

I turned back to Link. "I guess now isn't the time to talk about this. We'll talk about it later, right?" I asked. Link nodded. "Sure. We'll talk later. But, I have a question. I think I already know the answer, but I want to be sure. Are we going to see Zelda anytime soon?" he asked. I thought about Link's question for a second. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell Link the truth; after all, we would only see Zelda for a few seconds anyway.

I nodded. "Yeah, we'll see Zelda," I replied. Link smiled. "Okay, then. That's all I wanted to know. Now, we should really keep going," he said. He stood back up, and looked out towards the eye floating in the lava. I tried to stand up as well, but Link kept me down on the steps. "Actually, you go ahead and stay here. Rest up for now, and I'll do the next part of the temple by myself, like I promised," he said.

I knew that the eye would only support one person at a time, so I took Link up on his offer. Even though my Fairy had healed all of my wounds from before, I was feeling completely drained. So, I nodded, and waved Link goodbye. "See you later, Link," I said, slightly sleepy. Link said goodbye, turned away from me, and walked off. After he was gone, I yawned, laid down on the steps, and eventually gave in to the drowsiness of sleep.

I woke up in complete darkness, and looked down at myself. Once again, my body was transparent. But, I still had all of my clothes on, thank the goddesses. As I was looking around, I suddenly heard a voice come from behind me. "Samuel?" it asked. I turned around to meet the speaker; it was Jack. He was dressed in his normal clothes from my dream, and he had his black sword with him.

"Hey, Jack. What's up?" I asked. Jack shrugged. "Nothing much, I guess. I can't teleport out of here, so I've been practicing what I'm going to do to Ghirahim when I see him again," he replied. He then did a complicated series of sword maneuvers that ended with a forward roll, and a slash that I presumed was for chopping Ghirahim's neck off. After Jack was done with his demonstration, he turned back to me. "Yeah, it's been pretty boring in here, so that's my sole form of entertainment. I really wish I had my Xbox with me in here so I could play Call of Duty or something like that, but I guess that's not going to happen," he said. I laughed.

Jack made his sword vanish, and walked over to me. "So, how's everything going? Did you get to try out the spell I taught you?" he asked. I nodded, and Jack smiled. "Good," he said. He turned away for a second, and thought about something. He eventually looked back at me. "I don't mean to sound desperate, but where are you and Link at right now? I remember you saying that you two were going to the Earth Temple, but are you anywhere near the next boss?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, Link and I are going through the Earth Temple right now. And, we're actually getting near Scaldera," I answered. Jack looked at me for a second, and smiled again. "Good. Me and Ghirahim are going to be there, right?" he asked. I nodded again. "Yeah, you'll be there. But like I said last night, you and him are probably only going to be there for a few seconds. I'm sorry to say this, Jack, but you're probably not going to be free anytime soon," I said.

Jack looked at the ground after my answer. He looked let down. "Well, at least you're being honest with me. I don't mean to complain or anything, but it's just so freaking boring in here. If you found a way to free me, even if it was only for a minute or two, I could definitely help you guys out. If you can think of any way to do it, please do it," he said. I suddenly remembered my encounter with Sparrot. "Hey, I forgot to tell you. I have some good news," I said.

Jack turned his head back to me. "What is it?" he asked. I stared at Jack for a second, and answered. "I think I may have found a way to free you for good," I replied. Jack's eyes opened wide. He grabbed my shoulders, and started to shake me roughly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this before? Tell me what it is!" he shouted. I took a few steps back from him, and held my hands up. "For the love of Farore, Jack, calm down. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. I actually just found out earlier today," I replied.

Jack calmed down for a second, but he eventually became fed up again. "Well, don't keep me waiting. What is it?" he asked. I shook my head. "I don't know exactly what it is yet. I went to a fortune-teller in Skyloft, and he told me I needed a specific item to free you. But, I have absolutely no idea what it is, or how to get it. All I know is that once I get it, I can probably work out a way to free you," I said.

Jack stared at the ground, thinking. After a few moments, he had an idea. "Maybe the item you need is the Triforce. With that, you can do anything you want," he said. I shook my head. "No, the Triforce can't be it. Although the Triforce would definitely work, Link and I won't be getting that until the very end of our quest. Besides, the fortune-teller told me I needed something I already own to free you," I said.

Jack stared at me for a second. "Well, I'll try and think about it while I'm stuck here. You go ahead and get to Scaldera. If you can find a way to free me, then do it. I don't care if you have to beat the living crap out of me, just do it," he said.

I nodded. "I promise I'll try to free you if I get the chance," I said. _"Because I'm about 99% sure you won't be around anyway,"_ I thought. I chuckled. _"Wow, I sound like Fi,"_ I added. I waved goodbye to Jack. "See you later, Jack," I said. Jack started to say goodbye, but I suddenly was struck with an intense pain on the side of my face. Everything vanished, and I woke up. I was back in the Earth Temple, and Link was standing over me. He had just slapped me across the face.

I stood up and felt my cheek. "Ow!" I shouted. Link smiled at me. "That's a little thing called payback," he said. I grimaced, and shouted back at him. "There's no way I hit you this hard. And by the way, I'm a light sleeper, just so you know. Unlike _some_ people who need a freaking Loftwing to wake them up, a light tap on the shoulder or a shake will do next time!" I shouted. Link smiled again, and started to apologize. "Okay, I'm sorry. Now, let's keep moving," he said. Link pointed behind me, and I saw that the platforms behind me had risen upward to create a staircase of sorts.

We climbed the platforms, and entered the final room of the temple. There was a huge slope in front of us, so we started to climb it. I noticed there were some boulders hanging from the ceiling, so I tried to be cautious. Link and I dodged the first set of boulders without breaking a sweat. However, another set came hurtling towards us soon after, and these ones were much bigger. We were forced to climb inside a crevice in the wall for safety. After the boulders rolled past us, we continued up the steep slope.

When Link and I made it to the top of the slope, we stopped and caught our breath. Then, we looked to our left, and saw another slope. Link groaned. "How many of these things do we have to climb?" he asked. I stopped breathing heavily, and answered him. "Just this one, and then another smaller one," I replied. That seemed to lighten his mood. "Well, let's go," he said. He tried to walk up the slope, but I stopped him.

"Wait, Link. You can't go up this just yet, unless you want to be crushed by giant rocks. Stay here for a second; I'll go and blow up that rock wall over there so we have a place to hide in," I said, pointing to the wall. Link nodded, and I ran over to a small hole. I crawled through it, and made my way over to some Bomb Flowers. I filled up my bag with the explosive plants, and climbed a plant wall. When I made it to the top, I made my way to a raised platform about halfway up the slope. I took a Bomb out of my bag, and threw it slightly uphill. The Bomb started smoking, and rolled back down the slope. It passed in front of the rock wall, and exploded. I fist-pumped. "Yes!" I shouted.

After blowing up the wall, I made my way back to Link. "Okay, Link. Now we can get going," I said. He nodded, and we started to run up the slope. As we climbed higher, gigantic boulders suddenly dropped in front of us, and we had to avoid them by ducking into the crevice I blew up. After the boulders passed us, we safely made it to the top of the second slope. I could see the boss door on our right, but it was blocked by a huge stone dragon pouring lava out of its mouth.

I turned to Link. "Okay, Link. We need to go up those stairs over on the left, and climb another slope. The weird key thing should be up there," I said. Link nodded, and we ran up the stairs, plus the slope with twists and turns in it. We made it to the top of the curved slope without problems, and eventually came to a white chest. I already knew what was going to happen when I opened the chest, so I walked towards it with a scared look on my face. I looked upward, and saw another stone dragon holding a huge boulder in its mouth. I decided not to worry about it just yet, and opened the white chest with shaking hands. I quickly pulled out the Dragon Sculpture, slammed the chest shut, and started to run as fast as I could down the slope.

"Link, run! Run, you idiot!" I shouted as I passed him. Link looked confused. He started to walk slowly down the slope, but stopped when he heard a noise from behind him. The huge boulder fell out of the dragon's mouth, and started rolling towards us, Indiana Jones style. By now, I was halfway down the slope, and Link was about ten yards away from the boulder. He gasped, turned around, and sprinted down the slope after me.

Link caught up to me, and we ran down the curved slope with the boulder following close behind. We almost didn't make it to the ground in time, but we managed to jump off of the slope just before the boulder squished us. It flew over our heads, and landed in the other stone dragon's mouth, blocking the lava. Now, Link and I could get to the boss door.

I started doing a victory dance. "Ýeah! That's freaking right! Indiana Jones has got _nothing _on us!" I shouted. Link looked slightly confused at my statement. Luckily, he didn't waste time asking who Indiana Jones was, and we walked over to the boss door. I still had the Dragon Sculpture in my hand, so I started figuring out the right way to put it in the door. I eventually found the correct way, and held the Dragon Sculpture up to the lock. It floated out of my hand, and flew into the lock, which spun around. The huge doors in front of us opened, and I tuned to Link. "Are you ready, Link?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go," he replied. I took a deep breath, and Link and I walked into the boss chamber.

**Well, what do you guys think? Did you like this chapter? Leave a review telling me what you did and didn't like. Also, I promise that the next couple of chapters will be much more action-packed. So, I'll see you all then! Bye! :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey, readers! It's time for the Chapter Twenty Extravaganza! *throws confetti* To celebrate this fic's twentieth chapter, this chapter will be about twice as long as normal! Hooray! :D**

**I just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has read, favorited, followed, or reviewed this fic (except for the flamers whose reviews I had to delete. You guys should know better than to waste both your and my time like that). You guys (the honest people) are the reason I've continued writing this.**

**When I posted the first chapter of this fic, I had a basic self-insert idea thought out, and about five or six small chapters typed. Seriously, they were small. The "first" chapter I wrote went up until Samuel gets kidnapped by Ghirahim, and it was only about a thousand words long. Now, I'm putting out chapters that are about 3500-4000 words long each time, and I have a much more detailed plot organized. Plus, I've gotten better at writing in general. (As an example, go back and read the first chapter to see how bad my grammar was before. It wasn't horrible, but it was certainly worse than now). So, I just want you all to know that I appreciate everything that you've done for me and for this fic. I wouldn't be anywhere without you guys. ;)**

**I know that my fic isn't the most popular one out there, or the most romantic, or sexual, or adventurous, or action-packed, or funniest, or…(two hours later), but I'm glad that I have a at least a few people who truly enjoy reading it, and look forward to each chapter. Once again, I want to say thank you to all of you. So, thanks. :)**

**And now, with all of that stuff out of the way, it's time for Chapter Twenty! I hope you all enjoy it! Bye! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Twenty: Let Go of Me, You Stupid Elf**

Link and I walked into the boss chamber. As soon as we were inside the room, the door slammed shut behind us. Link and I walked down the path, and heard a loud noise from above. We looked upward to see a huge dragon skeleton hanging from the ceiling. Rolling through the skeleton was a gigantic boulder about as big as Link and I were, if not bigger. The boulder rolled along the skeleton, and passed us by.

We found a bunch of Bomb Flowers and hearts on the ground, so we filled up our Bomb Bags and collected the hearts. After that, Link and I started to walk forward. However, Fi came out of Link's sword to speak with us. "Masters, I detect Zelda's aura in the surrounding area," she said. She looked over at a chain on the ground, and we noticed it as well. "I detect an especially strong reaction from this chain. I calculate the probability Zelda was bound by it recently at 95%," she said.

Link looked shocked and angry at Fi's words. "Zelda was bound here?" he asked. Fi nodded. "Yes, but I surmise Zelda was somehow able to escape and proceed along the path. I suggest we continue with all possible speed," she replied. She flew back into Link's sword, and Link turned to me. "Zelda's not hurt, is she?" he asked. I shook my head. "No, she's not hurt, as far as I know. She should be fine," I answered.

Link looked slightly cheered up at my words. "Okay, then. Let's go and face whatever's in front of us," he said. I nodded, and we ran forward. We jumped onto another steep slope, and started to run up it as fast as we could. After Link and I made it about halfway up the slope, we heard an evil laughter. We stopped in our tracks, and looked upward. Ghirahim was standing on the head of the dragon skeleton, staring down at us.

"Oh, it's you two. Let me see… No, that's not it. This is so very embarrassing, but I seem to be at a loss for your name," he said, pointing to Link. Link started to speak up. "My name is-" he started, but Ghirahim interrupted him. "Not that it matters, really. To tell you the truth, I'm feeling a bit frustrated, and right now I just need someone to vent to. I heard my servant had finally captured the spirit maiden, so of course I rushed over here. But what did I find when I arrived? That agent of the goddess…she had once again…you see, what I'm trying to say is…That goddess-serving dog escaped with the girl!" he shouted.

Ghirahim looked pissed. "I MUST have the spirit maiden in order to resurrect my master! I MUST HAVE HER!" he screamed. I was frozen in place from the loudness of Ghirahim's tirade. His words shook the walls and threatened to bring the whole temple crashing down. He eventually calmed down, and continued. "I got a little carried away there, didn't I?" he asked.

"_You don't say?"_ I thought. Ghirahim continued with his speech. "I don't deal well with…complications to plans I've laid out so carefully. It's a character flaw of mine. Ah, but something good can still come from this day! I've had all this bottled-up anger smoldering inside of me, and now I can release it. There's someone special I'd like you to meet," he said.

I was confused at Ghirahim's words. _"Wait a minute. He can't be summoning Scaldera already. Where's Jack at? I haven't seen him yet," _I thought. I looked back up at Ghirahim. "Where the hell is Jack at? What did you do to him?" I shouted. Ghirahim laughed at me. "Oh, don't worry, Samuel. I'm sure you'll be seeing him soon enough," he replied. He snapped his fingers, and disappeared into a hundred diamonds.

After Ghirahim was gone, the mouth of the dragon skeleton opened up. The huge boulder from before came shooting out of its mouth, and started to roll towards us. "Get out of the way, Link!" I shouted. We both dove out of the way to dodge the rock, and it crashed into the wall behind us. We stood back up, and stared at the rock for a few seconds. Suddenly, the rock lit up with lava, and grew limbs made of the molten rock. Then, it stood up and roared at us. Scaldera's body suddenly caught on fire, and it started to advance up the slope towards us.

"Run!" I shouted. Link and I turned around, and ran up the slope, away from Scaldera. I fiddled with the strap on my Bomb Bag, trying to get it open. Unfortunately, the bag didn't want to open right now, so I let go of it. _"Fine. I'll settle for the Bombs on top of the slope," _I thought. I looked towards the top of the slope, and stopped in my tracks like an idiot when I saw a figure standing in the middle of the path, blocking our way to the Bombs. It was Evil Jack. He had his sword out, and there was a small black bag strapped to his belt. It looked like a Bomb Bag, but it was way too small to be one. It looked like it could barely fit one Bomb in it, let alone ten.

"_Well, it looks like that 1% came through after all," _I thought. I looked behind me; Scaldera was getting closer to me, so I started running up the slope again. Evil Jack smiled, waiting for us to get close. Link turned to me, and asked about him. "What should we do about him?" he shouted. I looked down at Scaldera again, then back at Link. "You go ahead and take care of that thing! I'll take care of Jack! I promised him I would try to free him if I got the chance! Just keep throwing Bombs at that until it rolls down the hill and opens its mouth. Throw another Bomb in, and slash at its eye until it's on fire again!" I shouted.

Link nodded, and took a Bomb out of his bag. He ran back towards Scaldera, and hit it with the Bomb. The lava monster was blown up, and started to roll back down the slope. I knew Link could handle Scaldera on his own, so I ran towards Jack. I pulled out my sword, and charged at him. When I was within ten feet of Jack, he snapped his fingers, and made his sword vanish. He stood in the middle of the slope, and started to taunt me. "Go ahead, Samuel. Come at me. If you do, you might be able to save that sorry excuse for a friend you call Jack," he said.

I ran at Evil Jack as fast as I could, and was about to slash at him when he pointed behind me. "Look behind you, Samuel," he said. I turned my head to see a huge fireball hurtling toward me. "_Crap," _I thought. I rolled out of the way of the fireball, and Jack teleported away from it with a millisecond to spare. _"Show-off," _I thought. I stood up again, and ran back towards Jack. I slashed at him, but he managed to summon his sword and block my blade with it.

I kept slashing at Jack until I managed to get a hit on him. He was stunned, which left me open for more attacks. I hit Jack over and over until he fell to his knees. He looked up at me, and smiled. "Don't worry about me, Samuel. I'll be back," he said. I saw Jack's eyes turn back to normal, and he stood up. He looked around the room, and realized that I was standing in front of him. "Samuel! Wow, that was faster than I thought!" he said.

I nodded, and ran back down the slope to help Link out. Jack caught up to me, and looked down at Scaldera. "How are we supposed to beat this thing?" he asked. I explained how to beat Scaldera, and Jack nodded. By now, we were about halfway down the slope. Link had just thrown a Bomb at Scaldera's open mouth, and it blew up. Link ran forward, and started slashing at Scaldera's purple eye. After a few seconds of slashing, Scaldera fired up again, and Link turned around.

He ran back up the slope, and caught up to Jack and I. We all ran away from Scaldera, and Link noticed he was out of Bombs. "Oh, for Hylia's sake. That was my last Bomb!" he shouted. I told Link there were more at the top, but Jack snickered at what Link said. "Heh. Hylia," he muttered. Link looked offended. "What's so funny about Hylia? She's the goddess everyone worships," he said. They continued running up the slope, and I stayed behind to deal with Scaldera. I took a Bomb out of my bag, and threw it at the monster. My Bomb exploded, and Scaldera was sent down the slope.

I decided to ignore Scaldera for now, and I ran back to where Link and Jack were. Jack was laughing at Link. "Of course I know who Hylia is. I just found it funny that you would pray to someone you kn—" he said. However, I gave Jack a huge glare, and he stopped speaking. Jack looked at me, and pointed at Link. "Wait a minute. He doesn't know?" he asked. Link looked confused at what Jack said. "Know what?" he asked.

By now, Scaldera had fired up again, so we had to retreat back up to the top of the slope. I threw another Bomb at Scaldera, and it went rolling down the slope again. I had to ignore it, or Jack might accidentally tell Link something important. When I got back to the top of the slope, Link was refilling his Bomb Bag. He asked Jack the same question as before. "I don't know what?" he asked. Jack turned to me. "Link doesn't know the truth, Samuel?" he asked.

I shook my head furiously. "No, Jack. He doesn't know. And he's not going to know until it's time for him to find out," I replied. Link stared at me. He looked left out and angry. "I know that _you're_ supposed to know everything that's going to happen, Samuel. But I didn't know _he_ knew everything as well. What do I not know?" he asked.

I looked at Link. "You don't need to know it yet, Link. Jack, don't tell him," I said. Jack nodded. "Fine. I won't tell him," he said. However, Link wasn't going to take no for an answer. He walked up to Jack, and grabbed him by the shirt. "Link, get away from him!" I shouted. I looked down the slope. Scaldera had just stood up, and was walking towards us. "Uh, guys…" I said. However, they didn't seem to hear me. Link grabbed Jack's shirt harder, and shouted in his face. "Tell me what you were going to tell me before!" he shouted. Jack tried to get free, and shouted back at him. "Let go of me, you stupid elf, or I'll slit your throat!" he shouted.

I facepalmed. _"Jack, come on. Seriously?"_ I thought. Link had a confused look on his face. "What did you just call me?" he asked. Jack gasped. He finally realized that he was telling Link information he shouldn't have been telling him, and repeated himself. "Just let go of me. Something could happen to me at any moment, and I don't want to- oh, shit," he said. He looked over Link's shoulder. He must have seen something weird, because he started screaming and struggling harder than ever.

"Let me go, damn it! He's right there! Let me go!" he shouted. However, Link didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. Jack's eyes suddenly glazed over, and Link dropped him. Jack's eyes turned back to normal for a second, and he started screaming at the sky. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU BASTARD!" he shouted. He gave a gasp of pain, and fell to his knees. Then, his eyes glazed over again. Evil Jack smiled, stood up, and did a huge moon jump over our heads. He landed in front of Scaldera, and held out his hand as if telling the monster to stop. Incredibly, Scaldera stopped dead in its tracks, and looked down at Jack with its one eye.

Evil Jack turned to back to face us. "You know, I think you guys have had it way too easy. Don't worry, though. I think I can fix that, even if it means leaving for a little bit," he said. He turned back to Scaldera, and took out his black sword. I saw a dark energy form around Jack's body. After a few seconds, he thrusted his sword at Scaldera. All of the dark energy was released from Jack's body, and it flew straight into Scaldera. The monster gave a huge roar.

Evil Jack turned back to us again. "I hope you three enjoy it," he said. Then, he collapsed. Scaldera finished its huge roar, and rolled back to the bottom of the slope. After a few seconds, Jack opened his eyes, which were normal again. He looked confused, and sat up. "Wait a minute. Why am I back here? I shouldn't be here, unless-" he gasped. He stood up, and looked down at Scaldera. "Oh, no," he said. He turned back to us, and asked us a question. "What did you just see my evil side do, exactly?" he asked.

I responded to Jack as fast as I could. "Well, he jumped over our heads, and stopped Scaldera from coming any closer to us. Then, he said that we had it too easy, and some kind of dark energy formed around his body. He thrust his sword at Scaldera, and all of the energy went into it. Then, he fainted," I replied. Jack looked shocked. "Crap. That only happens whenever a really, really powerful dark spell is cast. No wonder he fainted; he probably couldn't handle the stress of it. Like whenever he created that tornado-"

"_He_ created that tornado?" I asked. Jack nodded. "Yeah, but that's not important. Anyway, when he created that tornado, he fainted from the stress it caused," he said. Jack looked at us for a minute, and started to apologize. "I'm really, really sorry for all of the things I'm putting you two through. I wish I could help out more, but I need that special item that Samuel mentioned to be freed for good," Jack said, pointing to me. Then, he gasped. "Oh, my Goddess," he said, careful not to get Link confused again. He turned to me. "Samuel!" he shouted. I started to back away from him, and I pulled out my sword. "What is it, Jack? You're not getting possessed again, are you?" I asked.

Jack shook his head, and smiled like he had just found the cure for cancer. "No, that's not it. I would scream or something if that was going to happen. I can't believe it. It just came to me. It hit me like a bolt of lightning," he said. He paused for a second. "I just figured out what the item you need to free me is!" he shouted. Jack started jumping up and down like a five-year old, chanting "Yes!" over and over. I was shocked at what Jack just told me, and slightly jealous as well. He actually figured it out? Could this really be the point where everything changed? I couldn't believe it. "What is it?" I asked.

Jack smiled, and started to go through the things I told him earlier. "Well, you said that the item had to be personal to you, right?" he asked. I nodded, and Jack went on. "And my guess is that it's Zelda related, because we're in this situation right now," he said, careful not to spill the beans and say "we're inside a Zelda game right now." Jack smiled even more. "Do you see what it is now, Samuel? Do you realize what you need?" he asked.

I felt really stupid, because I still had no idea what it could be. I shook my head. "No, Jack. I still don't know what it is. Now, tell me before anything else happens," I replied. Jack took a deep breath, and spoke again. "The item that you need to set me free for good is your-" I heard him say. But, at the absolute worst moment, at the one point in time where it actually mattered, Jack's final words were drowned out by a horrible screech. The three of us turned toward the source of the noise, and looked down at the bottom of the slope.

I couldn't believe what was standing down there. It was way worse than I imagined. Evil Jack completely outdid himself this time, because down at the bottom of the slope was Scaldera on steroids. The huge rock monster was now wide enough that it took up every inch of free space on the slope. It was also about twice as tall as it was before. But the most threatening difference about it, in my opinion, was that its body was covered in blue flames now instead of orange.

"What the hell? Jack, can you stop it? Can you at least turn it back to normal?" I asked. Jack stared at Scaldera, and turned back to us. He shook his head. "No, I can't. Ghirahim never taught me anything this advanced. He must have saved the really powerful stuff until he was sure he could trust me. We're just going to have to beat it," he replied. "Crap," I said. Scaldera started to advance up the slope, and I noticed something. The one good thing that came with it being bigger was that it was slower as well. It was about half as fast as it was before, so it would give us more time to react.

I decided to see what Fi had to say, so I stared at Scaldera and thought about Fi for a few seconds. Then, I heard a voice in my head. _"Target Lock: Scaldera. This fearsome monster inhabits the deepest recesses of the Earth Temple. It can be categorized as a Pyroclastic Fiend," _Fi said. _"Tell me more," _I thought, and Fi's voice continued. _"Due to Jack's spell, Scaldera has increased in size by approximately 100% in width, 150% in height, and 100% in length. The temperature of its body flames has also increased by approximately 300%. Therefore, I surmise that Scaldera's attacks will be much more powerful than before, and will do more damage. However, it can be defeated in a similar manner as before. Because of the increased size of the monster, I hypothesize that it will require three Bombs to be thrown at it in order to make it recede down the slope, and that it will require the same amount to expose it's weak point,"_ she said.

Fi paused for a brief moment. _"Tell me more," _I thought again. Fi gave me her last piece of information, and it wasn't what I wanted to hear. _"Also, Master Samuel, I can unfortunately confirm that all of the damage Master Link dealt to Scaldera before it was enhanced has been nullified. My calculations show that you will need to damage Scaldera three more times in its enhanced state before you can defeat it. This is all of the information I have at this time," _she said. Fi's voice disappeared from my head, and I turned back to Scaldera. It was about halfway up the slope. I turned to Jack and Link, and started to explain. "Okay, guys. I know what we have to do. All three of us are going to have to damage Scaldera with Bombs at the same time. Plus, we're going to have to throw three Bombs into its mouth to get it to show its eye. All of its attacks are more powerful than before, so be careful. Got it?" I asked.

Jack and Link nodded, and we each took a Bomb Flower out of our bags. We turned towards Scaldera, and charged. When we got close enough, I shouted "Now!", and we each threw a Bomb at Scaldera. Our Bombs hit the monster dead-on, and it went rolling down the slope. Jack, Link, and I chased after it. When Scaldera reached the bottom of the slope, it stood back up and started to inhale deeply.

As soon as Scaldera opened its mouth, we had our Bombs out, ready to throw. "Now!" Link shouted. The three of us threw our Bombs, and they went right into Scaldera's open mouth. Scaldera started chewing on our Bombs, and there was suddenly a huge explosion. It knocked both Jack and I backward, and Link was left standing. Scaldera's eye was revealed, and Link ran towards it. When he got to the eye, Link started slashing at it nonstop. Jack and I stood back up, and waited for Link to come back. After about seven hits or so, Scaldera fired up again, and we all ran away from it.

Link eventually caught up to us. He was drenched in sweat. "Oh, my Goddess. You have no idea how hot it is near that thing now. It was hot before, but now it's almost too much to bear," he said. "I can believe that," I replied. Jack took a quick look back at Scaldera, and gasped. "Guys, look out! A huge fireball is coming right at us!" he shouted. I turned my head around to see a blue fireball the width of the entire slope coming right as us. We couldn't dodge it until we were back at the top of the slope, so I knew we had to outrun it. "Crap! Run!" I said.

We all ran up to the top of the slope as fast as we could, and dove out of the way of the fireball with literally no time to spare. We got back up immediately, and took out more Bombs. Scaldera was getting closer to us, so we ran forward. "Now!" Jack said. We each threw a Bomb at Scaldera, and it was once again sent back down the slope. "Come on! Let's go!" I shouted. We ran back down the slope, and took out another three Bombs to throw. Scaldera opened its mouth, and we threw our Bombs inside.

Once again, there was a huge explosion. This time, Link and I were knocked off our feet, and Jack was left standing. He made his black sword appear, and ran right up to Scaldera. He slashed at its eye until it fired up again, and we retreated back up the slope. Luckily, Scaldera didn't fire any fireballs at us, and we made it back to the top safely. I smiled. "Okay, guys! This is it! One more to go!" I said. Link and Jack nodded. However, they both looked like they were about to collapse from heat exhaustion.

Scaldera eventually started coming towards us again, and we pulled out more Bombs. Whenever we were close enough, we threw our Bombs and sent Scaldera down the slope again. We ran down the slope, and threw more Bombs at Scaldera's open mouth. Scaldera chewed on our bombs, and there was another huge explosion. Jack and Link both looked too weak to resist the shockwave, and were knocked backward. They looked like they were knocked out from the blast, so I knew it was now or never. If Scaldera didn't die right here, I knew Jack and Link would.

I took out my sword, and ran up to Scaldera as fast as I could. Link and Jack were right; the heat that Scaldera gave off now was almost too much to take. I started slashing at Scaldera's eye as fast as I could. I started out fast, but I could feel that my strength was starting to leave me. My sword slashes started to slow down, and Scaldera would fire back up any second.

"_No! Come on, Samuel, push through it!" _ I thought. I gave it all of the strength I had, and delivered a final slash to Scaldera's eye. When Scaldera gave off a huge screech of pain, I knew I had done the job. I could feel the heat from Scaldera lessening more and more by the second. Scaldera's flames turned back to orange, and eventually were completely snuffed out. Scaldera sat down on the floor, defeated. It turned black, shrank, and exploded into darkness.

"Yes!" I shouted. I felt way better, now that Scaldera's heat was gone. I ran over to Jack and Link. They were still unconscious, but they still had pulses. I gave a light slap to Link, and he sat up. I gave another to Jack, and he woke up as well. They both looked completely exhausted and worn out. I sat down next to them, and started to speak. "Hey, guys. Are you feeling okay?" I asked. They nodded, although they still looked worn out. "Yeah, I'm good, Samuel. Is it over? Is Scaldera dead?" Jack asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, Scaldera's gone," I replied. Suddenly, I saw a bright light flash from behind me, and looked over my shoulder. A Heart Container had appeared in the air, and it slowly floated down to the ground. Link and Jack both stood up at the sight of it. "What is that thing?" Jack asked. I looked back at him. "It's a Heart Container. It completely restores your energy, and gives you a higher maximum energy as well. All three of us can get it at once if we touch it at the same time, so let's do that," I replied.

Jack nodded, and the three of us walked over to the Heart Container. We each held a hand over it, and I started to count. "1…2…3…Now!" I said. At the same time, Link, Jack, and I touched the Heart Container. I was once again filled with more energy than I ever had before, and so were Link and Jack. We were completely healed, and felt ready to go. After the Heart Container disappeared, we turned around and walked back up the slope.

We made it up the slope without any problems, and walked over to the gold door. When we got near the door, it dissolved and revealed a dark hallway. Link, Jack, and I walked through the door, and walked into the Earth Spring. The Earth Spring was like Skyview Spring in many ways, but it had a completely different look. The spring was made almost completely of white marble, and there were torches hanging from the walls. Other than that, it was basically the same.

I heard a familiar tune, and looked ahead. Two figures were standing in the middle of the spring. One was Zelda, and the other was Impa. Zelda was dressed in a simple white gown, playing the Ballad of the Goddess on her harp. I looked over at Jack, and almost burst out laughing. Jack was staring at Zelda with a look of complete shock and amazement. _"Ooh, somebody's got the hot's for a certain Goddess," _I thought.

Zelda finished playing her harp, and a huge column of light appeared in front of her and Impa. Impa gestured Zelda towards the light, and she started to walk into it. However, just before she did, Zelda turned around and noticed the three of us standing there. She gasped, and we started to run towards her. "Link! Samuel!" she said. She tried to run at us, but Impa held out her hand, and stopped her.

Impa spoke to Zelda. "You cannot go to them, Your Grace. Remember what we discussed. Restrain yourself. Focus on the task at hand," she said. We stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and stared at Zelda. She looked like she would give anything in the whole world to be able to walk down those stairs. However, she knew she couldn't, and so did I. Reluctantly, Zelda turned around. Then, she spoke to the three of us.

"I…I have to go. I'm sorry, boys," she said. Zelda walked forward into the column of light, and disappeared. Link looked completely appalled at Impa, and Jack looked ready to kill. Link suddenly broke away from us, and ran up the steps. As soon as he was within five feet of Impa, she turned around. Link stopped dead in his tracks, and Impa spoke to him.

"It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her," she said. Link looked completely angered at Impa's words, and she smiled slightly. "Do my words anger you, boy?" she asked.

Suddenly, I heard somebody snap their fingers, and an angry voice answered Impa. "Actually, yeah. They piss me off a whole bunch," Jack replied. He ran up the stairs, and pushed Link out of the way. "Jack, stop it! Something could happen!" I shouted. But, Jack ignored me. Link took a couple of steps backward, and Impa and Jack were left on the platform facing each other.

Impa stared at Jack calculatingly, and eventually spoke to him. "Get back from me, or you'll make things worse. I know of your predicament, and I don't need any more complications to Her Grace's plan right now. If I did not come when I did, Zelda would have already fallen into the hands of your captor. The truth of it is you three were late. Because you can't control your dark side, he was able to impair your progress, and you were late. You failed to protect her, so I sent Zelda ahead to learn more of the fate in which she is destined to play a part," she said.

Jack stared at Impa for a very, very long time, and she eventually continued. "Listen well, servant of the Demon Lord. If you wish to break free of your curse and be of help to Her Grace, then you must face the trial laid out before you. Only when you have conquered the trial will you be of any use to Zelda. No sooner. Am I understood?" she asked. I thought Jack was going to attack Impa for speaking to him like that. However, Jack did something I didn't expect: he nodded. "Yes. I understand," he replied.

Impa then turned to Link and I. "And the two of you will also only be of help to Her Grace once you have conquered the trails laid out before you. No sooner. Am I understood?" she asked. Link and I both nodded. After that, Impa didn't say another word. She slowly walked into the column of light, and vanished. After Impa was gone, the column of light completely disappeared, and the three of us were left alone in the spring.

Link and I started to walk up the stairs to where Jack was standing. However, he suddenly gave a gasp of pain, and dropped his sword. He started to hold his head. "No! Please, not now! Please!" he said. Jack turned to us, and I said the first thing that came to my mind. "Jack! What do I need to free you? Tell me before it's too late!" I shouted. Jack sank to his knees, holding his head. His eyes glazed over for a second, then turned back to normal. "Crap. I forgot to tell you," he said. His eyes flickered again. "You need your-" he said. His eyes flickered again, and he tried to repeat himself. But, Jack was losing control of his body, and his reply came out as a stutter. "Y-y-you n-need y-your-" was all he said before his eyes glazed over again.

After his eyes glazed over, Jack let go of his head, and stood up. He smiled evilly, and spoke to Link and I. "Well, well, well. So close, and yet so far away. It looks like Jack was just a second too short this time. And, guess what, Samuel? That's probably the last time you'll ever see your friend like that. Because my master is going to personally make sure that little Jack never escapes again without the item you need to free him. So unless, by some miracle, one of you manages to get that item, I'll remain in control forever!" he shouted.

Evil Jack laughed, and continued. "Oh, and just so you know, Jack won't be in your dreams anymore, Samuel. Sadly, you won't be getting any more hints from him. That wouldn't be any fun, now, would it?" he asked mockingly. He laughed again, and picked his sword back up. "Unfortunately, now is where I must say goodbye. Although I would love to finish one of my master's plans right now, I'm afraid I can't do it just yet. Goodbye, Samuel and Link. And, who knows? Maybe I'll see you two again soon," he said. Evil Jack waved his sword in a circle, and vanished.

After Jack was gone, Link and I stood in place for a few moments, thinking. I didn't have a clue of what Jack had tried to say in his final moments, and I was still shocked at everything else that had just happened. Link looked shocked, too. Neither of us said a word. I decided I was going to give everything a long, hard thought whenever we were safely back in Skyloft.

Link went over to the Skyward Crest and got the Amber Tablet by himself. Meanwhile, I sat down on the steps leading to the spring. I didn't bother to listen to the message, or watch Fi ice skate around the spring. I already knew the message by heart anyway, and I really didn't feel like watching Fi ice skate right now.

After Fi was done with the message, Link put the Amber Tablet in his pouch. He walked back to me, and sat down on the steps beside me. He looked just as bummed out as I was. "Do you want to talk about everything when we get back to Skyloft?" he asked. I nodded, and stood back up. Link stood up as well, and we walked out of the Earth Spring together.

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. The next chapter will be from Jack's POV, and it will basically be the same as this chapter, but it's told from his perspective. Now, before you dismiss it as me getting lazy, I'll assure you right now that it's not that (for the most part). There are a few things that happened from Jack's perspective that I'm sure you guys won't want to miss. So, tune in for Chapter Twenty-One, and I'll see you guys then! Bye, and once again, thanks for reading! :D **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Twenty-One! This chapter will be from Jack's POV, and it will basically be the events of last chapter, but from his perspective. As always, thanks to everyone who has R&R'd this story, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Twenty-One: You Need Your...**

(Jack's POV)

After Samuel's dream was over, I woke up in the darkness of my mind, alone. As usual, I didn't know how long I had been out. Even though I had just left Samuel's dream, I knew it could be tomorrow, or even longer. I waited around for a while, thinking if there was anything I could do. Eventually, I had an idea. I stood up, snapped my fingers, and summoned my sword. I knew it was pointless to try and teleport out of here, but I tried it anyway. I waved my sword in a circle, and concentrated with all of my might on Skyloft. As I expected, it didn't work.

Because I didn't have anything else to do, I decided to practice my swordplay. I kept doing rolls, spin attacks, and other maneuvers over and over until I noticed someone was watching me. "Samuel?" I asked. He turned around, and noticed me. "Hey, Jack. What's up?" he asked. "Nothing much," I replied. I told Samuel about what I was doing, and gave him a little demonstration of what I was planning to do to Ghirahim when I saw him again.

After I was done demonstrating, I asked Samuel about how far he had made it in his journey. "I remember you saying you two were going to the Earth Temple, but are you anywhere near the next boss?" I asked. Samuel nodded. "Yeah, Link and I are going through the Earth Temple right now. And, we're actually getting near Scaldera," he replied. I couldn't help smiling. _"Good. The sooner that Samuel and Link make it to the boss, the sooner I'll be free from this mess," _I thought.

Samuel eventually mentioned he might have found a way to free me, and I was completely shocked. I grabbed Samuel by the shoulders. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this before? Tell me what it is!" I shouted. Samuel backed away from me. "For the love of Farore, Jack, calm down. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. I actually just found out earlier today," he said.

Samuel paused for a few seconds, and I became agitated. "Well, don't keep me waiting. What is it?" I asked. Samuel shook his head. "I don't know exactly what it is yet. I went to a fortune-teller in Skyloft, and he told me I needed a specific item to free you. But, I have absolutely no idea what it is, or how to get it. All I know is that once I get it, I can probably work out a way to free you," he replied.

I had an idea about Samuel using the Triforce to free me, but he said he needed something that he already owned to free me. I tried to think of what it could be, but I came up with nothing. Eventually, Samuel promised me he would try and free me as soon as he got the chance, then he left. I went back to practicing my sword techniques, and eventually sat down to rest.

I rested for what felt like a half hour, waiting for something to happen. Just as I was about to give up hope that Samuel would free me, I felt the ground begin to shake. I stood back up, and waited for the shaking to stop. After the shaking stopped, I was suddenly pitched forward, and I knew I was back in my body. As soon as I regained control of my body, I looked around at my surroundings. I was standing in a very long, very hot room. I looked forward, and noticed someone was standing in front of me; it was Samuel. "Samuel! Wow, that was faster than I thought!" I shouted.

Samuel nodded, and turned away from me. He started to run down a steep slope, and I suddenly noticed what was at the bottom. A huge monster was at the bottom of the slope. It looked like a huge boulder with limbs made of lava. Plus, it was on fire as well.

"_Scaldera. So, this is the boss," _I thought, remembering what Samuel had called it earlier. I looked down the slope, and saw Link running away from Scaldera. He suddenly turned around, and pulled a Bomb out from a small bag strapped to his belt. He threw his Bomb at Scaldera, and it exploded. Scaldera was stunned by the explosion, and rolled back down the slope.

I chased after Samuel, and eventually caught up to him. I didn't waste any time, and got right down to the important stuff. "How are we supposed to beat this thing?" I asked. Samuel turned to me, and gave me a quick rundown of how to beat Scaldera. It actually seemed easy, the way he described it. All we basically had to do was throw Bombs at Scaldera until its eye was exposed, and slash at it until it died.

I was ready to fight back, but Scaldera suddenly started to run up the slope, and we had to turn around. Link caught up to us, and we ran away from the monster. Link checked his Bomb Bag, and cursed. "Oh, for Hylia's sake. That was my last Bomb!" he shouted. Even though we were running away from a huge lava monster, I couldn't help but laugh at what Link said. "Heh. Hylia," I muttered.

I thought it was the funniest thing ever that Link would pray to Hylia when he knew full well that she was actually Zelda. Link, however, didn't think so. "What's so funny about Hylia? She's the goddess everyone worships," he said. Samuel broke away from us to deal with Scaldera, and I was left alone with Link. While we waited for Samuel to come back up, Link turned to me. "Do you even know who Hylia is?" he asked. I laughed at him.

"Of course I know who Hylia is. I just found it funny that you would pray to someone you kn-" I said. However, Samuel had just come back, and he stopped me from completing my sentence. He gave me a death stare, and I stopped. I was suddenly hit with realization: what if Link didn't know who Zelda actually was yet? I turned to Samuel, and pointed at Link. "Wait a minute. He doesn't know?" I asked.

Link looked confused. "Know what?" he asked. However, I didn't have time to answer, because Scaldera was coming close to us again. Samuel threw another Bomb at it, and we retreated to the top of the slope. Once we were there, Link asked me the same question as before. "I don't know what?" he asked. I turned to Samuel. If Link didn't know who Zelda really was, I could be screwing up everything right now.

I decided to ask Samuel one more time, just to be sure. "Link doesn't know the truth, Samuel?" I asked. Samuel shook his head very fast. "No, Jack. He doesn't know. And he's not going to know until it's time for him to find out," he replied. Link looked slightly pissed at Samuel's answer. He turned to him. "I know that _you're_ supposed to know everything that's going to happen, Samuel. But I didn't know _he_ knew everything as well. What do I not know?" he asked.

Samuel tried to deter Link away from the subject, but I don't think it worked very well. "You don't need to know it yet, Link. Jack, don't tell him," he said. I nodded. "Fine. I won't tell him," I replied. Now, Link looked even more pissed that he didn't know what was going on. He suddenly ran up to me, and grabbed my shirt. "Link, get away from him!" Samuel shouted. But, Link didn't listen. He grabbed my shirt harder, and screamed in my face.

"Tell me what you were going to tell me before!" he shouted. I struggled to free myself, but Link had an iron grip. I started to get pissed off. _"What the hell do you think you're doing? Just because you don't know that Zelda is Hylia doesn't give you the right to treat me like crap," _I thought. I decided to give Link a taste of his own medicine, and shouted back at him.

"Let go of me, you stupid elf, or I'll slit your throat!" I shouted. Samuel facepalmed, and I realized what I had just done. I had just called Link an elf, and he wasn't supposed to know what an elf was. Link looked confused by my threat, and spoke up. "What did you just call me?" he asked. I gasped. _"Crap," _I thought. Instead of giving Link the answer he wanted, I simply repeated myself.

"Just let go of me. Something could happen to me at any moment, and I don't want to-_" _I said. However, my sentence was cut short when I noticed a transparent figure just behind Link's shoulder: my evil side. "Oh, shit," I said. My evil side smiled, well, evilly, and started to walk towards me slowly. I turned to Link, and started to struggle away from him. If he didn't release me, I knew everyone was screwed.

"Let me go, damn it! He's right there! Let me go!" I shouted. However, before Link could figure out what I was trying to tell him, my evil side was about an inch away from me. "Bye, Jack," he said. He entered my body, and I felt a huge splitting pain in my head. I was forced out of my body, and I became an invisible spirit standing about a half foot away from everyone.

Link suddenly noticed that my eyes had changed, and dropped me. I ran back into my body as fast as I could, and started to feel the pain in my head again. As the pain grew stronger, I heard a voice in my head. _My _voice. _"What's the point in all of this fighting against me, Jack? If you just let me take over now, then this whole ordeal will be over before you know a thing. It will be so much quicker and less painful for you, and your friends will die anyway, so why not just give up, and let me take control?"_ it asked.

I fought against the pain, and I felt myself regain control of my body for a second. I started to scream at the sky, as if that would solve all of my problems and magically make my dark side disappear. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU BASTARD!" I shouted. I could feel the pain growing more and more intense, and I could also feel my strength weakening by the second. After a few more seconds of intense pain, I couldn't take it anymore. I fell to my knees, and blacked out.

When I woke up, I was lying on the ground. I knew I was still in the same room as before, and I became confused. "Wait a minute. Why am I back here? I shouldn't be here, unless-_" _I said. I suddenly gasped, and realized what must have happened. I quickly stood up, and looked down the slope. Scaldera was still there, and there was a dark energy around its body. "Oh, no," I said. I turned around, and saw Link and Samuel were standing behind me.

Once again, I didn't waste any time. "What did you just see my evil side do, exactly?" I asked. Samuel started to explain. "Well, he jumped over our heads, and stopped Scaldera from coming any closer to us. Then, he said that we had it too easy, and some kind of dark energy formed around his body. He thrust his sword at Scaldera, and all of the energy went into it. Then, he fainted," he said. I was in shock. "Crap. That only happens whenever a really, really powerful dark spell is cast. No wonder he fainted; he probably couldn't handle the stress of it. Like whenever he created that tornado-"

"_He_ created that tornado?" Samuel asked, interrupting me. I nodded. "Yeah, but that's not important. Anyway, when he created that tornado, he fainted from the stress it caused," I replied. Samuel and Link understood, and I suddenly felt like complete crap for everything I was causing them. I knew it wouldn't fix anything, but I started to apologize to them. "I'm really, really sorry for all of the things I'm putting you two through. I wish I could help out more, but I need that special item that Samuel mentioned to be freed for good," I said.

After I said that, an image suddenly popped into my head as if out of nowhere. I gasped. "Oh, my Goddess," I said. I couldn't believe what it was, and I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it before. Because the image that had just popped into my head was the item Samuel needed to free me, I was sure of it. I started to piece everything together, and the item I was thinking of made sense.

I knew Samuel said that the item had to be personal to him, and what I was thinking of certainly was. I also guessed that it was Zelda related, because we were in a freaking Zelda game right now. _"I can't believe it. I actually know what Samuel needs," _I thought. I turned to Samuel, and smiled. "Samuel!" I shouted. He backed away from me, and pulled out his sword. "What is it, Jack? You're not getting possessed again, are you?" he asked.

I shook my head, and smiled even more. I almost laughed at Samuel, but I held it in. I was too happy to make fun of him. "No, that's not it. I would scream or something if that was going to happen. I can't believe it. It just came to me. It hit me like a bolt of lightning," I said. I paused for dramatic effect, and went on. "I just figured out what the item you need to free me is!" I shouted.

I let all of my emotions out, and started jumping up and down like I had just hit the lottery. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" I shouted. Samuel looked shocked at what he had just been told, and he looked slightly jealous that he didn't figure it out first. "What is it?" he asked. I stopped jumping around, and started to explain.

I told Samuel everything that I had just thought of, but he still couldn't get it. _"And to think that you get better grades than me," _I thought. Samuel eventually asked me what it was again, and I started to tell him the answer. "The item that you need to set me free for good is your-" I said. But, I couldn't complete my sentence. I suddenly heard a screech from behind me, and turned around.

When I saw what was standing down there, I was completely speechless. It was Scaldera, but it was about a hundred times more powerful than it was before. It was bigger, taller, and hotter than ever before. I could literally feel the heat it was giving off from all the way up here.

"_Oh, my God. What the hell did you do?" _I thought, referring to my evil side. Then, I heard a laugh in my head, and a voice responded. _"Oh, I just decided to make everything a little harder, that's all. I just decided to ramp up the difficulty of the quest by a smidge. Is that too much for you, Jack? Do you feel like you can't handle it? Do you feel…angry at me, perhaps, for doing this?" _it said.

I wasn't going to fall for my evil side's tricks this time. I knew he was trying to get me pissed at him so he could regain control, and I wasn't going to let it work. _"No! Don't you try and mess with me! I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work this time. I'm not getting mad at you!" _I thought. I heard another chuckle, and his voice continued. _"Well, then, have fun, Jack. I hope you enjoy my little creation," _he said. His voice disappeared from my head, and I turned back to face Link and Samuel. Samuel seemed just as shocked as I was by Scaldera. "What the hell? Jack, can you stop it? Can you at least turn it back to normal?" he asked.

I stared at Scaldera for a few seconds, and thought. I went through everything Ghirahim taught me while I was trapped with him, but I couldn't come up with a spell that would work. Reluctantly, I turned back to Samuel, and shook my head. "No, I can't. Ghirahim never taught me anything this advanced. He must have saved the really powerful stuff until he was sure he could trust me. We're just going to have to beat it," I replied.

"Crap," Samuel said. He stared at Scaldera for about half a minute, then he turned back to Link and I. "Okay, guys. I know what we have to do. All three of us are going to have to damage Scaldera with Bombs at the same time. Plus, we're going to have to throw three bombs into its mouth to get it to show its eye. All of its attacks are more powerful than before, so be careful. Got it?" he asked.

Link nodded, and so did I. Link reached into his Bomb Bag, and pulled out a Bomb. I looked down at my waist, and noticed a small black bag was strapped to my belt. I opened it up. The bag must have been enchanted with some sort of magic, because inside were about ten Bombs. I pulled one out, and held it above my head.

After we each had a Bomb, the three of us ran down the slope at Scaldera. When we were close enough to it, Samuel shouted "Now!", and we threw our Bombs. They hit Scaldera, and exploded, sending it back down the slope. We chased after the monster, and got out more Bombs to throw. Scaldera eventually reached the bottom of the slope. It stood up, and started to inhale deeply.

"Now!" Link shouted. We threw our Bombs, and they were sucked inside Scaldera's mouth. After a few seconds of Scaldera chewing our Bombs, there was a huge explosion. The shockwave was so intense that it knocked Samuel and I off of our feet. Link managed to hold up through the explosion, and Scaldera's purple eye was revealed.

Link took out his sword, and charged at Scaldera. He started slashing at its eye until he was forced to retreat away from it. He ran away from the monster, and caught up with Samuel and I. When Link caught up with us, I noticed that he looked completely wasted. He was drenched in sweat, and he looked like he was going to pass out on us. "Oh, my Goddess. You have no idea how hot it is near that thing now. It was hot before, but now it's almost too much to bear," he said.

I looked back at Scaldera for a second, and was glad I did. I saw a huge blue fireball come out of its mouth, and speed towards us. "Guys, look out! A huge fireball is coming right at us!" I shouted. Samuel looked back at the fireball for a second. "Crap! Run!" he shouted. We sprinted to the top of the slope, and dodged the fireball with about a microsecond to spare.

After dodging the huge fireball, we took out some more Bombs. We ran back towards Scaldera, and I decided to give the signal to throw this time. "Now!" I shouted. We threw our Bombs, and Scaldera was sent rolling down the slope again. "Come on! Let's go!" Samuel said. We took out more Bombs to throw at Scaldera, and ran after it.

When we were at the bottom of the slope, Scaldera opened its mouth again. We threw our Bombs inside, and I braced myself for the explosion. _"You know, if you're going to enhance everything else about this monster, why not make it smart enough to realize it shouldn't be opening its mouth?" _I thought. However, the explosion suddenly took place, and snapped me out of my thoughts. Link and Samuel were knocked off their feet, so I decided it was my turn to go slash at Scaldera.

I snapped my fingers, and my black sword appeared in my hands. Then, I ran right up to Scaldera's eye, and started slashing at it. _"Man, Link was right. The heat this thing gives off is almost too much. It's so freaking hot," _I thought. However, even though sweat was pouring off of my face, I continued slashing at Scaldera until it fired up again.

"_That's my cue to get the hell out of dodge," _I thought. I immediately turned around, and bolted away from Scaldera. Luckily, Scaldera was too slow to catch up to us, and we made it back up the slope without any problems. Link and I caught our breath once we were up there, and Samuel decided to give us a small pep talk.

"Okay, guys! This is it! One more to go!" he said. Link and I nodded mechanically. _"Yeah, Samuel, you wouldn't be so peppy if you had to be near a freaking huge 2000 degree__ flame for an extended period of time. Link and I are lucky we didn't get burned to death,"_ I thought. I looked over at Link; he still looked wasted, and I knew I must have looked wasted as well. I literally felt like passing out with him right now, but I held it together, and reminded myself that we had a job to do.

Scaldera eventually caught up to us again, so we pulled out more Bombs to throw at it. Once again, Scaldera went rolling down the slope after our Bombs hit it. We chased it down the slope again, and pulled out more Bombs. When we caught up to Scaldera, its mouth was open. So, we threw our Bombs in its mouth, and waited. When the explosion happened, I knew I wasn't going to be able to withstand the force of the shockwave. It was way too powerful. I was blasted backward, and I landed on my back. I saw Samuel charge at Scaldera, and I passed out.

I felt a slap to the face, and I woke up. I noticed I was miraculously still in the boss room, and that I somehow didn't get possessed by my evil side. _"Thank the Goddesses," _I thought. I noticed that the boss room had significantly cooled down, and it actually felt normal. Samuel was standing over me, his face drenched in sweat. When Samuel saw that I was awake, he sat down between Link and I. It seemed that Link had passed out as well, and I couldn't blame him for doing so.

"Hey, guys. Are you feeling okay?" Samuel asked. I gave a quick nod, and so did Link. "Yeah, I'm good, Samuel. Is it over? Is Scaldera dead?" I asked. Samuel nodded, and I saw a blinding white light flash from behind him. Samuel looked behind his shoulder to see what it was. When the light cleared, a huge red heart with golden accents appeared where the light had been. It floated down to the ground, and slowly spun in place.

I stood up, and stared at the weird heart. I had no idea what it was; Ghirahim had never told me about anything like it. "What is that thing?" I asked. Samuel turned back to me. "It's a Heart Container. It completely restores your energy, and gives you a higher maximum energy as well," he said. _"Oh, cool. It sucks there's only one of them," _I thought. Samuel continued explaining the Heart Container. "All three of us can get it at once if we touch it at the same time, so let's do that," he said.

I gave a small nod. _"Now, that's more like it," _I thought. Samuel, Link, and I walked over to the Heart Container, and we each held a hand over it. Samuel counted to three, and we all touched the Heart Container at the same time. As soon as my hand made contact with the Heart Container, I felt a huge surge of energy pulse through me. It felt like I had just chugged about twenty energy drinks at once. After that, I felt like I could do anything. When the Heart Container was gone, the three of us ran back up the slope, and came to a gold door. It was pulsing with blue light in the shape of a crest.

As soon as we came close to the door, it vanished. In its place was a dark hallway. We ran through it, and ended up in some sort of spring. However, I wasn't paying attention to the spring at the moment. I was paying attention to two figures standing at the end of the spring.

One of the figures was someone I didn't know. She had long white-blond hair, pointed ears, and her eyes were crimson red. The other person was Zelda. She was now wearing a white dress, and she was playing some kind of string instrument. I didn't know what it was called, but it sounded amazing. Zelda herself looked completely amazing as well; she was the epitome of beauty. I felt my mouth fall open, but I didn't care.

Zelda eventually finished playing her weird instrument. As soon as she was done, a gigantic column of white light appeared. The mystery girl told Zelda to walk into the light, and Zelda was about two inches from it when she suddenly turned around. She gasped, and tried to run towards us. "Link! Samuel!" she shouted. However, Zelda never made it to us. The mystery girl held out her arm, and stopped her from coming any closer.

"You cannot go to them, Your Grace. Remember what we discussed. Restrain yourself. Focus on the task at hand," she said. Zelda stopped in her tracks. She looked completely torn apart that she wasn't allowed to see us. She turned back around, and spoke. "I…I have to go. I'm sorry, boys," she said. Zelda took a few steps forward, and entered the white column of light. A second later, she disappeared.

I was absolutely pissed at the mystery girl for making Zelda leave us. _"Who in the hell do you think you are? If Zelda wants to see us, then let her see us! Why do you get to decide what she can and can't do?" _I thought. However, Link turned my thoughts into reality before I could. He ran up the steps, and charged at the mystery girl. When Link got close enough, she turned around and stared at Link. He immediately froze in place.

"It took you far too long to get here. Looking at you, I fear the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is any indication, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her," she said. Link looked like he was ready to whip out his sword and slash at her, and the mystery woman smiled. "Do my words anger you, boy?" she asked.

However, before Link could take out his own sword, I beat him to the punch. I snapped my fingers, and my sword appeared in my hands. "Actually, yeah. They piss me off a whole bunch," I replied. I ran up the stairs, and pushed Link out of my way. "Jack, stop it! Something could happen!" Samuel shouted. Link backed away from me and the mystery girl, and she and I faced each other.

The mystery girl stared at me for a while, and eventually decided to speak up. "Get back from me, or you'll make things worse. I know of your predicament, and I don't need any more complications to Her Grace's plan right now. If I did not come when I did, Zelda would have already fallen into the hands of your captor. The truth of it is you three were late. Because you can't control your dark side, he was able to impair your progress, and you were late. You failed to protect her, so I sent Zelda ahead to learn more of the fate in which she is destined to play a part," she said.

I was completely livid. _"What, do you think that I freaking _like _to get mind raped by Ghirahim and my evil side? Because, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly in control when it comes to that sort of thing," _I thought. However, I suddenly heard a voice in my head, and stopped. _"No, I don't think you enjoy it, but you need to learn to control it, or at least find a way to stop it. And, that's what I'm going to help you do," _it said_. _I was shocked by the voice. The voice I had heard belonged to the mystery girl. _"What do you mean, you're going to help me? Who are you?" _I thought. The girl's voice continued.

"_Listen to me, Jack Jensen. You don't have much time left before your darker half takes control of you again; I can sense it. So, I am going to help you find what you need. My name is Impa, and I am a servant of the Goddess Hylia," _she said_._ I was confused. _"If you're a servant of Hylia, then why were you bossing Zelda around? Shouldn't _she _be bossing _you_ around?" _I thought.

Impa's voice continued. _"Zelda isn't currently aware that she is the Goddess Hylia. The reason I sent her into the light was so she could learn about her past life. Now, before you ask me any more questions, let me explain what is going to happen. As I mentioned before, your darker half is going to possess you again. When that happens, you will wake up in a different place than you usually do, so be prepared. When you get there, I will explain more. If you truly want to help Zelda, then you will listen to my instructions," _she said.

I was still confused. _"Wait a minute. You said you were going to help me out somehow. How?" _I thought. Impa's voice continued again. _"You weren't listening to me before. You already know you need a specific item to be freed from your curse, so I am going to help you retrieve it," _she said. I suddenly realized what she meant. _"Oh, I get it now! You're going to teleport me back to my world so I can get it, right?" _I thought. Even though I knew getting back to my world probably wasn't going to help me now, it would be refreshing to see everything again after two months.

However, Impa's voice gave me the answer I didn't want to hear. _"No, it isn't as easy as that. Because you won't have a physical body while you're possessed, the best I can do for you is what I'm proposing. Even if you did have one, I still couldn't teleport you back to your realm. That is beyond my power. To get back to your realm, you will need the power handed down by the goddesses Din, Farore, and Nayru: the Triforce. However, that is irrelevant right now," _she said.

"_You already know what you need, Jack. I will tell you more when you get to the place I mentioned," _Impa said. Then, she spoke out loud. "Listen well, servant of the Demon Lord. If you wish to break free of your curse and be of help to Her Grace, then you must face the trial laid out before you. Only when you have conquered the trial will you be of any use to Zelda. No sooner. Am I understood?" she asked.

I stared at Impa for a second. Then, I nodded. "Yes, I understand," I replied. Impa turned to Link and Samuel, and basically asked them the same thing she asked me. When they both nodded, Impa turned around, and walked into the column of light. A few seconds later, she disappeared, and so did the column.

I turned back to Link and Samuel. They started to walk towards me, but I suddenly felt a familiar pain in my head. _"No! It can't be happening already! This is too early!" _I thought. "No! Please, not now! Please!" I screamed. I held my head, trying to concentrate on blocking the pain. However, it just kept getting worse and worse. Samuel knew I didn't have much time left, and he shouted at me. "Jack! What do I need to free you? Tell me before it's too late!" he said. However, I couldn't answer him. The pain in my head became so great that I sank to my knees.

I felt myself lose control of my body for a second, but I quickly regained control. "Crap. I forgot to tell you," I said. I felt my strength start to leave me again, so I tried to tell Samuel the answer. "You need your- " I said. I briefly lost control again, and I tried to repeat myself. However, I was too weak to complete the sentence, and it came out as some sort of stutter. "Y-y-you n-need y-your-" was all I said before I felt my strength completely leave me. I tried to say it one last time, but my voice was lost in the darkness.

"You need your ocarina," I said. After uttering that last sentence, I felt myself completely black out.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter 22! This chapter will be in Jack's point of view, and guess what? It's actually original content, and not a repeated chapter from before! Hooray! :D**

**Anyway, this chapter took me forever to write, but I think it turned out alright in the end. Also, I'm sorry if it seemed like this chapter was late getting published. Right now, I have a bunch of stuff going on, mostly school. However, I'm still trying to put out one chapter a week, at the very least. So, if you're worried that I'm going to abandon this fic, then don't be. I have no intention of quitting this fic at all. **

**Anyway, remember to leave a review if you like this chapter! And, as always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy! Bye!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up. **

**Chapter Twenty-Two: It's Game Over, Man. Game Over.**

(Jack's POV)

When I woke up, I noticed some things were different. Like Impa promised, I wasn't inside my mind; I was lying on pavement. I stood up, and looked around. The first thing I noticed was that I was standing inside some sort of blue circle. The next thing I noticed was that I was also standing in Samuel's driveway, which meant that I was somehow back in my neighborhood. But, everything looked different.

Everything had a bluish-green tint to it, and I mean everything. The ground, the houses, even the sky looked different. I kept looking around, and I saw tiny specks of light floating in the air all around me. I saw a weird teardrop-shaped thing lying on the ground in front of me, giving off a white light. It was about ten yards away from the edge of the circle, and I could see another one lying in the main intersection of my neighborhood.

However, the most frightening thing, in my opinion, was the monsters that were scattered all around the neighborhood. They all looked scary as hell. Some of the monsters had huge swords embedded in the ground, and they were standing perfectly still, as if they were waiting for something to happen. The rest of the monsters were basically ghosts; I couldn't think of anything else to call them. They drifted back and forth, and each one held a lantern in its hand instead of a sword.

Everything seemed so eerie and creepy. _"Where am I? I thought Impa said she couldn't send me back to my world," _I thought. Right after I thought that, I heard a voice respond in my head. Sure enough, it was Impa. _"You are not in your own realm, Jack. You are currently standing in a place known as a Silent Realm. Normally, they are domains of spirit created by Hylia that are designed to test one's character and spirit. However, this Silent Realm was created by your darker half, Jack. He created this place as a means to try and stop anybody from possessing the item you need to break your curse: Samuel's ocarina," _she said.

I thought about what Impa said; she had just confirmed what I was thinking of back at the Earth Temple. Back in our world, Samuel freaking loved his ocarina. He got it as a present from his parents on his 15th birthday, and it was love at first sight. He had recently become obsessed with an older Zelda game, so I guessed it made sense. I remember that the game had an ocarina in it, but I don't remember much else about it.

Impa's voice continued, interrupting my thoughts. _"Do you understand where you are now, Jack?" _she asked. I nodded. "Yeah, I think I understand. I'm guessing this is the plan you were telling me about back at that spring, right? You said it was some sort of trial?" I asked. Impa's voice responded. _"Correct. This is the plan I was speaking of at the Earth Spring. Now, Jack. Are you ready to proceed with the trial?"_ she asked. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm definitely ready. So, what do I have to do? Do I have to fight my way through these bad guys or something?" I asked.

Impa's voice responded. _"No, Jack. The Silent Realms are not designed to test your combat skills. If you don't believe me, look down at yourself," _she said. I listened to her, and looked at my body. I was wearing normal clothes, and my body was transparent again. But, I noticed I didn't have any items on me, including my sword. I tried to summon my sword by snapping my fingers, but nothing happened. My sword didn't appear in my hands. Impa must have known I attempted to summon my sword, because her voice continued. _"Your magic will do you no good here, Jack. You will not be able to use any of it while you are inside this realm. Now, let me explain how the Silent Realms work," _she said.

I waited for a second, and suddenly felt a warm feeling in my chest. A light appeared in the middle of my body, and floated out of it. The light hovered in front of my body for a second, and then it completely changed in shape. I honestly didn't know what it turned into. It looked like a huge flower with about fifteen or sixteen orbs on its stem. The weird thing floated in the air, and I reached out to grab it.

As I grabbed the weird flower, Impa's voice sounded in my head. _"That is your Spirit Vessel, Jack. The object of the trail is to collect fifteen Tears of Light, and make it back to this protective circle," _she said. I strapped the Spirit Vessel to my belt, and scoffed at her words. "That's it? I just need to go around my neighborhood and collect stuff? That seems way too easy," I said.

Impa's voice continued. _"That's because it is too easy, Jack. There is more to these trials than simply collecting the Tears of Light. Not only will you have to collect them, but you must do it unnoticed by the Guardians," _she said. Impa's voice paused for a second, and went on. _"Do you see the figure standing on the other side of the driveway, Jack?" _ she asked.

I stared at the huge monster again. Even though it wasn't moving, it still looked creepy. My guess was that the huge monsters were the Guardians; they certainly looked the part. "Yeah, Impa. I see it. Is that thing a Guardian?" I asked. Impa's voice responded. _"Yes, Jack. That is a Guardian. As soon as you step outside of this circle, all of the Guardians in this realm will wake up and try to strike you with their swords. However, they can be stopped if you collect a Tear of Light. If you manage to grab one before you are hit, they will stop pursuing you for ninety seconds," _she said_._

I looked at the Guardian again, becoming more scared by the second. "Is that it? What happens if I _don't_ get a Tear of Light?" I asked. Impa's voice responded. _"If the Guardians manage to land even a single hit on you, you spirit will be shattered into pieces, and you will have to start the whole trial over again. Also, beware of the Watchers as well, Jack. They are the floating creatures holding lanterns. The Watchers cannot harm you directly, but they should be feared just as much as the Guardians, if not more. If a Watcher spots you within the light of its lantern, it will immediately notify the Guardians, and they will begin to pursue you, no matter how much time you have left remaining,"_ she said.

"Okay, then. Is _that _it?" I asked, applying a little sarcasm to my words. Impa's voice continued. _"That should be enough for now. There are more things I could mention, but I don't believe you need to know them at this moment. I will explain the smaller details when you come to them. For now, go ahead and make an attempt to pass the trial. I will be here if you need my advice. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to attend to Zelda again. Goodbye, Jack, and may the Goddess watch over you,"_ she said. I chuckled at Impa's words, and her voice disappeared from my head.

Once again, I was alone. _"Okay, then. Let's give this trial a go," _I thought. I took a deep breath, and walked to the edge of the blue circle. I eyed the Tear of Light in front of me, and took my first step out of the circle. As soon as my foot made contact with the ground, everything around me changed. The white flower on my Spirit Vessel instantly wilted into nothing. The color of everything in the Silent Realm immediately changed from a calming blue-green to a harsh red. But, most of all, the nearest Guardian suddenly creaked to life in front of me. Its eyes lit up red, and it pulled its huge sword out from the ground. It uttered a weird screeching sound, and charged towards me with its sword raised in the air.

I was in shock. "Ahh! What the hell?" I screamed. I stood in place for a second like an idiot. Then, I remembered what I was actually supposed to do, and I bolted towards the Tear of Light at the end of the driveway as fast as I could. But, my moment of hesitance cost me. The Guardian was coming closer and closer to me, and I knew I was too far away from the Tear of Light to grab it. I made a desperate dive for the tear at the last second, but the Guardian brought its sword swinging down at me. I felt the metal blade touch me, and a huge shock flowed through my body. I landed on the pavement, and I felt my body break into a million pieces. I blacked out.

I woke up, and stood back up. I was back inside the circle, only about fifteen yards away from where I was hit. As soon as I woke up, I noticed everything was back to its blue, less-scary state. I stood up, and looked back towards the Guardian; it was still and silent. I was pissed at myself. _"Okay, Jack. How about this time, you actually try to get a freaking Tear, and not stand there like an idiot?" _I thought. I walked back to the edge of the circle, and bolted out of it. Everything turned red again, and the nearby Guardian woke up and started to chase me.

However, this time the Guardian was too slow. I ran over to the Tear of Light, and touched it. It flew straight into my Spirit Vessel, and everything turned back to normal. The white flower on the Spirit Vessel suddenly bloomed back to life, and it started to slowly wilt away. I guessed that it was a timer for telling me how long I had before the Guardians woke up. I stood in the driveway for a second, and looked around. I could see another Tear of Light inside one of the cul-de-sacs in my neighborhood, but there were about three Watchers pacing near it. Also, there was a Guardian standing off to the side of the cul-de-sac, waiting for me to slip up.

I slowly walked over to the cul-de-sac, but I noticed there was something sitting in my path. There was a small white piece of fruit lying in the middle of the street. I walked over to it, and picked it up. The fruit was about the size of my fist, and it gleamed with a small light. As I stared at the fruit, I heard Impa's voice in my head. _"That is a Light Fruit, Jack. If you eat it, it will place small beacons of light over the Tears of Light for thirty seconds. That way, you will be able to locate them easier," _she said_._

"Cool," I said. I took a bite out of the Light Fruit; it didn't taste like anything special, in case you were wondering. As soon as I swallowed the Light Fruit, I saw white beacons of light shoot up in the air. I looked around at the beacons, and started to form a strategy. There were four hills in my neighborhood: three on the right side, and one on the left. The hills on the right ended in dead ends, and the fourth one led to another cul-de-sac. I noticed that most of the beacons of light were on the right side of the neighborhood; there were only two beacons on the left side.

After checking the beacons out, I looked down at my Spirit Vessel; about thirty seconds were gone. I looked back at the cul-de-sac, and ran towards it. I must have gotten too close to one of the Watchers, because it suddenly charged towards me. However, I managed to dodge its lantern, and I collected the second Tear of Light. It flew into my Spirit Vessel, and I ran off to get the next one.

I came to the main intersection of my neighborhood, and collected the Tear of Light that was there. I noticed a weird liquid on the path to my right, and walked over to it. It looked exactly like water, but it had a red color to it. Impa's voice sounded in my head when I got close to the liquid. _"Don't touch that if you can help it, Jack. That substance is called Waking Water. If you make contact with it, the Guardians will instantly wake up," _she said.

"_Crap," _I thought. I backed away from the Waking Water, and turned around. Even though most of the Tears of Light were beyond the water, I decided I would wait until later to get those. I turned around, and ran down the street towards the hill with the cul-de-sac. On my way there, I found another Tear of Light, making four. I came to the bottom of the hill, and started to walk up it. When I reached the top of the hill, I gasped at what I saw. _"Well, this is just awesome," _I thought.

Inside the cul-de-sac was a Tear of Light, surrounded by two Guardians. There weren't any Watchers up here, but the entire cul-de-sac was completely covered in Waking Water, except for the very center. I walked up to the edge of the Waking Water, and stood there for a moment. I looked down at my Spirit Vessel; I had about thirty seconds left.

I knew I had to go and get the Tear of Light eventually, but I was prolonging the moment when I would have to confront the Guardians again; those things were so freaking scary, it wasn't funny. I didn't want to do it, but I stepped onto the Waking Water, and bolted for the Tear of Light. As soon as I touched the water, everything turned red again. Both Guardians woke up, and started to chase me.

I dashed forward, dodging the Guardians' swords. I managed to grab the Tear of Light, and it flew into my Spirit Vessel. I stood in the center of the cul-de-sac for a moment, catching my breath. The Waking Water didn't recede away from me when I got the Tear of Light, so I would have to run back through it again if I wanted to continue.

"_Now I feel like an idiot. I should have saved the Tear in the middle of the neighborhood so I wouldn't have to make a mad dash for the other side,"_ I thought. I looked down at my Spirit Vessel again. So far, I had collected five Tears of Light, and I had about a minute to go before the Guardians woke up. I caught my breath for a few more seconds, and I eventually dashed back through the Waking Water. I didn't bother to look behind me, and ran down the hill back to the center of the neighborhood.

Miraculously, I made it back to the center of the neighborhood without getting caught. However, I completely forgot about the other Guardian from before. It noticed me, and started to chase me down the street. I crossed the stream of Waking Water I'd ignored before, and saw a Tear of Light in the middle of the road. I dashed for the tear, with the Guardian following close behind me. When I was about to get the tear, I felt a huge stream of air hit me. The Guardian had swung its sword at me, and it looked like it missed me by an inch.

I quickly scooped up the next Tear of Light, and everything was turned back to normal. The Guardian vanished, and I continued searching for the other tears as fast as I could. I picked up another Light Fruit, and counted nine columns of light in the sky. I saw two columns of light on the first hill, and I could see some more Waking Water on the hill as well. I decided to ignore that hill for now and check the second one. There was a Guardian on the second hill, and there wasn't any Waking Water on it, which was a plus. I could see a Watcher on the top of the hill, and I could see two more Tears of Light on it. I made my way up the hill, and ignored the first Tear in case I needed it to stop the Guardians later. I came to the top of the hill, and eyed the Tear of Light that the Watcher was guarding. When the Watcher turned away from me, I snuck in and got my seventh Tear unnoticed.

I knew there was Waking Water on the first hill, but the good thing was that I also knew the first and second hill's yards were connected. I was still on the top of the second hill, so I could cut through the yards to the first hill and bypass the Waking Water altogether. I ran through the yards, and snagged the eighth Tear of Light. Then, I made my way back to the second hill, and collected my ninth Tear on the way down.

I still had six tears to go, so I made my way down the road, ignoring another Tear along the way for safety. I saw two Tears down a path on my right, so I walked down it. The only thing down that path was a Guardian, so I knew I was safe; I collected my tenth and eleventh Tears without any problems. Then, I walked over to the third hill.

When I got to the third hill, I saw a stream of Waking Water cutting me off from it. I knew I couldn't cut through the yards again because the second and third hill's yards weren't connected. So, I stepped into the Waking Water and made a dash for the next Tear. One of the Guardians almost got me, but I snagged the Tear of Light at the last second. I only had three more Tears to go, and one of them was right at the top of the hill. I ran up the hill, and collected my thirteenth Tear.

I walked back to the bottom of the hill, and stood at the edge of the Waking Water. The Tear I'd ignored from before was right across the water, so I ran right through the water to get my fourteenth Tear. I smiled. "One more to go, Jack," I said to myself. I walked back to the first hill, and collected my final Tear of Light. As soon as I did, I saw a huge column of blue light shoot into the sky. It looked like it was coming from Samuel's driveway.

As I walked back to the driveway, I heard Impa's voice in my head. _"Well done, Jack. You've managed to collect all fifteen Tears of Light. But, you're not safe yet. You still need to make it back to the protective circle in order to complete the trial. Beware, Jack: if you cause the Guardians to wake up now, you will not be able to stop them again, because there are no more Tears of Light to collect. So, be careful," _she said.

I smiled at her words. "I'll be fine, Impa. The driveway is right there," I said. I approached the Waking Water near Samuel's house, and took a deep breath. Then, I ran straight through it. Everything turned red again, and I bolted towards Samuel's driveway. On top of the Guardian from the cul-de sac, there was still the one from Samuel's driveway to deal with. The cul-de-sac Guardian was coming closer to me, and it was pushing me towards the other Guardian.

I ran back into Samuel's driveway with two Guardians on my tail. The circle was only about fifteen yards away, and I dashed straight towards it. Both of the Guardians swiped at me at the same time, and both of them missed. "Yes!" I shouted. By now, I was only five yards away from the circle. I turned around, and looked at the Guardians. They were both too far away to catch me, so I started to walk backwards into the circle, taunting them along the way. "Yeah, that's right, bitches! You can't catch me! I guess I'm just too fast for you idiots!" I shouted. However, just as I was about to step into the circle, I lost my balance and tripped over my feet. I fell to the ground, inches away from the edge of the circle.

I looked back up at the Guardians; they were coming closer to me. "Oh, crap! No! No!" I shouted. I stood up, and tried to close in the last few inches between me and the circle. However, I felt one of the Guardians' swords barely touch me in the back, and a huge shock flowed through my body. I fell to my knees, about an inch away from the edge of the circle. I felt my body break into a million pieces, and I blacked out.

I woke up back inside the circle. As soon as I was awake, I looked down at my Spirit Vessel, and I saw that all fifteen of my Tears of Light were gone. All of my progress was completely ruined. Just as I was about to finish the trial, I had to trip over my feet and fail at the last second. I couldn't help it. I started to go completely insane. However, "No! No! Are you motherf-" was all I said before Impa's voice interrupted my rampage.

"_Jack, stop that right now. It's your own fault you failed the trial. You shouldn't have taunted the Guardians, and you're going to pay the price for it. You're going to have to do the trial over again," _she said. I scoffed at her words. "Are you joking? Please tell me you're joking. I honestly have to do all of that bullcrap again?" I asked. Impa's voice responded. _"Yes, Jack. You must do the trial again, unless you would rather have your darker half remain in control of your body for the rest of your life. If it is any consolation, there should be a map in your pocket telling you where the Tears of Light are, so this time should be slightly easier than the last," _she said.

I reached into my pocket, and felt a folded up piece of paper inside it. I took it out, and unfolded it. Sure enough, it was a map of my neighborhood showing me where the Tears of Light were. I looked at the map for a few seconds, and stuffed it back into my pocket. "Okay, then. I'll do the stupid trial again," I said. Impa wished me good luck, and I stepped outside of the circle to get the first Tear of Light.

I went through the Silent Realm exactly as I did last time, and collected all fifteen Tears of Light without being caught. I walked back to the stream of Waking Water near Samuel's driveway, and took a breath. After a few seconds, I dashed through the water, and bolted towards Samuel's driveway again. This time, I concentrated on getting back to the circle, and nothing else. I dodged the Guardians' swords one last time, and ran into the blue circle unharmed.

As soon as I stepped inside the circle, I sat down and caught my breath. _"Yes! I finally finished this stupid trial. Suck on that, you stupid Guardians!"_ I thought. I couldn't believe how frustrating that was. That was possibly the worst thing I've ever done in my life; I would probably have nightmares later on. I literally got on my knees and prayed to the Goddesses that I wouldn't have to do any more of these things. After I was done praying, I stood back up, and looked down at my Spirit Vessel. All of the Tears of Light suddenly flew out of the orbs on the Spirit Vessel, and went into the flower on top of it. The flower lit up with a blinding light, and I was forced to look away.

When the light cleared, the flower was replaced with a huge white bud. The bud broke off the Spirit Vessel, and floated into my hands. I held it in my hands for a moment, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, the bud exploded into white petals, and disappeared.

I was now holding a familiar instrument: Samuel's ocarina. It had seven holes on it. It was painted a vivid blue color, and felt really smooth to the touch. The mouthpiece had a metal ring around it, emblazoned with a yellow Triforce in the middle. I stared at the ocarina for a while, and Impa's voice sounded in my head. _"Well done, Jack. Now that you have completed the trial, walk into the very center of the circle. You will leave the Silent Realm, and will be transported back to your mind. I will meet you when you get there," _she said.

I nodded, slipped Samuel's ocarina into my pocket, and looked around the Silent Realm one last time; it was probably the closest thing to my neighborhood that I would be seeing for a while. After I was done looking around, I walked into the center of the circle, and everything vanished. When I woke up, I was once again in the darkness of my mind. I looked around, and noticed that there wasn't anyone with me; Impa wasn't there. I assumed she would appear sooner or later, and took Samuel's ocarina back out of my pocket.

I held the ocarina in my hands for a while, and started to think. _"Okay, now what? Now that I have the ocarina, how do I get free from Ghirahim and my dark side?" _I thought. I began to think of ways that I could free myself. However, after a few moments, I noticed someone was watching me. I turned around, and stood face-to-face with Impa.

I sighed in relief, and Impa gave a small smile. "Were you expecting someone else?" she asked. I shook my head. "No, I was just shocked by you suddenly appearing out of nowhere," I replied. Impa stared at me for a second, and then spoke back. "Once again, well done, Jack. You've managed to retrieve the item you need to break your curse," she said.

I looked back at Samuel's ocarina, then back at Impa. "So, now what? Now that I have Samuel's ocarina, how do I free myself?" I asked. Impa looked at Samuel's ocarina, and began to explain. "_You_ aren't going to free yourself, Jack. At least, not directly. Samuel is the one who is going to break your curse, although you will have your own role to play in the process," she said.

"Let me explain in detail, Jack, if you don't mind," Impa added. I nodded, and she went on. "Music has always had certain unique properties associated with the melodies it can create. It has always been this way, and it always will be," she said. I was slightly confused by what Impa said. "What do you mean?" I asked.

Impa looked into my eyes, and continued. "What I mean is this, Jack: there are a few musical melodies that produce magical effects simply by playing them. One of these melodies, the Ballad of the Goddess, will prove to be quite useful for Samuel and Link later on in their journey. However, that is irrelevant right now. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think I understand. What you're trying to tell me is that there are some special songs that do things when they're played, right?" I asked. Impa nodded. "Correct. Now, let me explain what you're going to need to do, Jack. I am currently escorting Zelda to a sacred place known as the Temple of Time. It is located in Lanayru Desert, a harsh wasteland abandoned long ago. I have a strong feeling that the Demon Lord Ghirahim and your darker half are going to try and kidnap Zelda when we arrive there, so I think that it will be the perfect time for you to break free," she said.

I nodded. "Okay, then. How do I escape?" I asked. Impa paused, and explained more details. "If Ghirahim and your darker half appear at the Temple of Time, I will try my best to keep Zelda safe from harm. While I am protecting Zelda, you will use the ocarina to escape from your darker half's hold on you. However, I must warn you, Jack: Even if you use the ocarina to escape, it will not be permanent," she said.

My mouth fell open. "_What_? I thought the whole purpose of getting this stupid ocarina was so I could free myself for good! If I can't free myself from my dark half for good, then what's the point?" I asked. Impa waited until I was done, and answered my question. "You obviously weren't listening to what I said before, Jack. I said that _Samuel _is the one who must free you. After you use the ocarina to break free, you must find a way to give the ocarina to Samuel at all costs," she said.

I was in deep thought for a second. "Okay…And why, exactly, is me using the ocarina to free myself not good enough? Why won't it be permanent? Why do I have to give it to Samuel? Because right now, the only difference between me and Samuel is that he has those stupid pointy ears. No offense," I said, not wanting to offend Impa.

Impa looked right into my face, and answered my question with a speech. "Actually, Jack, that difference matters significantly. _You_ using the ocarina won't free yourself completely because, unfortunately, you aren't a Hylian," she responded. "Even though the ocarina's music holds magic powers of its own, the music by itself isn't enough to completely break your curse. Yes, the ocarina will break your curse temporarily, but you will need a Hylian to use the ocarina if you want to break it completely. Hylians are better suited to perform magic than regular humans from your world are. And, that is why you need to make sure Samuel gets the ocarina. Only a Hylian using the ocarina will break your curse," she said.

I stared at Impa for a second, and suddenly came up with an idea. "Wait a minute! You're a Hylian, so you can just set me free right now, and I don't have to do any of that stuff!" I said. I started doing a victory dance, but Impa stopped me. "No, Jack. I can't help you. I'm technically not a Hylian. I am what is known as a Sheikah. My race was created solely for protecting the Goddess Hylia, and any descendants that she may have. I'm sorry, but I can't help you. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will break your curse," she replied.

I was slightly pissed at Impa's reply. "Fine, then. Teach me the melody I need," I said. Impa nodded, and pulled a scroll out of her pocket. "Can you read music, Jack?" she asked. I nodded. I wasn't in the band or anything, but I could tell where the notes went on the staff and the difference between quarter, half, eighth, and sixteenth notes from my music classes in elementary school. Plus, Samuel had even showed me a couple fingering positions on his ocarina once. So, I felt prepared.

Impa handed me the scroll, and I put Samuel's ocarina back into my pocket. I figured it would take me a while to get the song down, so my reasoning was that I wouldn't need it just yet. I took the scroll, and started to unravel it. However, I heard a voice suddenly come from behind me. _My _voice. "Well, now. Just what do you think you're doing with _that_, Jack?" it said. I stopped unraveling the scroll, and quickly slipped it into my pocket. Then, I looked up at Impa.

Impa glanced behind me, and quickly looked back into my eyes. "Jack, get behind me right now," she said. I didn't question her, and ran straight behind her. As soon as I was safely behind Impa, I turned around, and saw my evil side standing about ten feet away. I decided to play dumb, and answered his question. "What do I think I'm doing with what?" I asked. My evil side scoffed, and went on. "I was referring to the goddess-serving _idiot_ standing next to you. Although, I guess it doesn't matter _what _she's doing here, because you'll never find the way to free yourself, Jack. I've got that locked up tight," he said.

I almost burst out laughing, but I held it in. My evil side turned to Impa, and addressed her. "And _you_, as of right now, have no business here," he said. My evil side snapped his fingers, and I saw Impa start to fade away. She actually looked surprised that she was being forced out. She apparently couldn't stop it, because she turned to me, and spoke her last words. "Jack, I can't help you any longer. Remember what I told you, and you'll succeed. Unfortunately, this is where I must say goodbye. Good luck, Jack," she said. Impa completely faded away, and I was left alone with my evil side.

"_Crap," _I thought. My evil side turned to me, and smiled. "Well, well, well. It looks like you're all alone once again, Jack. And, guess what? As of this moment, my master is going to guarantee that you'll never break free again. Unless, of course, you manage to find what you need. But, let's be honest: the odds of that happening are less than zero, now that that servant of Hylia is gone. And don't think that she, or anyone else for that matter, is going to be coming here to help you. Because, as of now, no one else but me and my master can come in here. Plus, you can't leave here to talk with Samuel in his dreams anymore. So, I hope you've grown accustomed to living in darkness, Jack. Because you're basically stuck here forever!" he said.

My evil side laughed at me some more, and decided that now was the time to leave. He snapped his fingers, and vanished. As soon as he was gone, I gave a huge sigh of relief, and took Samuel's ocarina and the scroll back out. "If you think the odds of me finding these are less than zero, then you're dumber than I thought," I said. I decided that I didn't have any time to waste, and quickly unraveled the scroll Impa gave me.

I took a look at what was written on the scroll, and I almost passed out. "What the hell is this?" I asked. I took a closer look at the scroll, and realized the horrible truth: I couldn't read a thing that was written on it. The writing on the scroll was in some kind of script that I couldn't read. Ghirahim never taught me anything like this at all; all of the tests, quizzes, and other things he gave me were either oral, or in perfect English. The characters on the scroll were weirdly shaped, and didn't resemble English letters at all. I couldn't make out the song's title.

The reason that sucked was because the notes on the paper weren't recognizable, either. Instead of the regular musical notes that I could recognize, there were yellow circles with black arrows pointing in different directions. So, I couldn't read the music, and on top of that, I didn't even know what the song sounded like, because I didn't know the title!

I was in complete shock. I was ready to start freaking out again. _"Are you freaking kidding me? I went through all of that bulllcrap with the Silent Realm just to end up here? With sheet music that I can't read to a song whose title I can't understand? That's it. It's game over, man. Game over. I'm hopelessly screwed, and so is everyone else. There's no way out of this," _I thought. I sat down, and stared at the yellow circles on the scroll. "_Samuel and Link are going to fail if I can't figure out this stupid song. I've got to at least give it a try,"_ I thought.

So, I sat there and studied the weird notes for I don't even know how long. However, as time seemed to pass, I couldn't even make a dent in it. I just couldn't figure it out. If I only knew what musical note each arrow represented, then I would be able to figure out the song in an instant. But, I didn't even know that. _"Left, right, down, left, right, down. That's it. That's all I know. What could it mean?" _I thought. I eventually threw the scroll behind me, and laid down on my back. _"Yep. I'm screwed," _I thought. I decided that there wasn't anything else I could do, so I closed my eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

**Well, what do you guys think? Did you enjoy this chapter? I personally think it turned out alright, in my opinion. And, there are a couple of things that I should mention. Before you ask, yes, I know that the Tears in the Silent Realm were called Sacred Tears. But, I called them Tears of Light because they're not exactly sacred if a dark spirit created them, right? Am I right? Plus, I couldn't think of anything else to call them, so I borrowed the name from TP. **

**Anyway, I hope you guys like how I did the Silent Realm, which is personally one of my favorite places in SS, even if it got scary at times. (Seriously, those Guardians creep the hell out of me.) Also, I hope you enjoyed the rest of the chapter as well, with the ocarina and the scroll. If you're a true Zelda fan, then you should recognize the song that Jack has in an instant. For those of you with amnesia, you'll just have to wait until later to find out.**

**Anyway, the next chapter will be back in Samuel's POV, and I'll try to get it out within the next few days. Remember to review, and I'll see you all next chapter! Bye! :D **


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Twenty-Three! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and I'm sorry if this chapter seems short. Right now, I haven't really had the time to type, what with school and all. Samuel and Link will go back to Skyloft, and head towards Lanayru Desert at the end. That's about it. Filler FTW! Also, don't think that Jack is finished yet! He'll be back in the next few chapters, I promise. Probably Chapter 29 or something like that. Muhwahahaha!**

**Anyways, I'll try and post the next chapter on Friday to make up for this one being so short. So, at least you guys will have that to look forward to. As always, thanks to everyone who R&R'd, and enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Heading to Lanayru Desert**

(Samuel's POV)

Neither of us spoke a word as we made our way back through the Earth Temple, and we didn't bother killing anything unless it got in our way. As we trekked back through the temple, I tried to come to terms with everything that had happened. I was nowhere closer to freeing Jack than I was when I woke up this morning. I felt like a complete idiot because I couldn't figure out what I needed.

The only thing I knew for certain was that I needed an item that was personal to me if I wanted to free Jack. It sucked so much that he wasn't able to tell me what I needed in time. And now, according to Evil Jack, Jack couldn't even tell me the answer, because he wouldn't be in my dreams anymore. I was completely stuck.

I looked over at Link; I felt like a jerk because I hadn't even stopped to consider how bad he must be feeling about Zelda. After all, he was basically going through the same trouble as me. _"It must be tearing him apart inside,"_ I thought. However, I remained completely silent on our journey back through the temple, and didn't ask Link anything. I decided that I would sit down and have a nice chat with him whenever we were back in Skyloft.

We eventually made it back outside the Earth Temple. It was still daylight, but it was fading fast. So, I pulled out my Sailcloth, and ran over to the nearest Bird Statue. Link followed me, and took out his Sailcloth as well. We bowed our heads, and prayed. After a few seconds, a huge wind blew beneath us, and we were soon back in the sky. We whistled for our Loftwings, and headed towards the Statue of the Goddess. When we arrived, Link and I jumped off of our birds, and went inside the Statue. Once we were inside, Link took out the Amber Tablet and placed it in the altar along with the other tablets.

Outside, the third column of light appeared, revealing our way to Lanayru Desert. We walked out of the Statue of the Goddess, and Link asked me a question. "Well, now that we know where we need to go next, do you want to go somewhere and get some food? I haven't eaten all day," he said. I chuckled, and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go to the Lumpy Pumpkin for some dinner. I'm feeling hungry too, and we can talk about stuff while we're there," I replied. Link nodded, and we walked over to the nearest diving platform.

We dove off of the platform, and called our Loftwings again. A few minutes later, we arrived at Pumpkin Landing, and walked into the Lumpy Pumpkin. The restaurant was actually pretty busy, so I knew we wouldn't be overheard if we started talking about important stuff. Link and I walked over to the bar; Pumm was standing behind it, and he noticed us. "Well, what'll it be?" he asked. I took a red Rupee out of my wallet, and handed it to Pumm. "Two bowls of pumpkin soup," I replied. Pumm pocketed my money, and walked over to the kettle. He poured out two bowls of pumpkin soup, and set them both on the bar. "There you go," he said.

I took one of the bowls, and I handed Link the other. "Come on, Link. Let's find an empty table," I said. Link nodded, and we headed off to find one. Luckily, the table on the top floor was empty, so Link and I sat down at it. We immediately started digging into our soup, which didn't leave much room for conversation. As Link came back up for air, he thanked me. "You have no idea how much I love this stuff. Thanks for buying me a bowl," he said.

I smiled. "It's no problem, Link. Actually, you could say that _you _paid for this soup, because I used the money I won from our bet to pay for it," I said, rubbing our bet in his face slightly. Link scoffed. "Well, at least the money went to a good cause," he said. Link finished his soup, and laid the spoon inside the bowl. "There we are. Now, then. You said you wanted to talk about something?" he asked.

I nodded. "Let's just think of ways to free Jack for a while," I said. Link nodded, and thought for a minute. Then, he spoke back up. "Okay, I say we should start with what we know. So, what do we know?" he asked. I thought for a moment. "We don't know much. All we know is that the only thing that can free Jack is something I own, something that's personal to me. But, I don't think any of the items we have now, or even any of the items we'll eventually get will do the trick," I said.

Link and I sat there for a few minutes, both of us completely silent. Neither of us could come up with anything that made sense. I proposed my Fairy idea from before, but I knew it wouldn't work. I dug back into my pumpkin soup, and finished the bowl off. After a few more minutes of thinking, another thought suddenly popped into my head.

"_Wait a minute. Maybe I can go ask Impa what I need! She'll definitely know the answer, even if she's reluctant to give it. Plus, maybe I can get some other information out of her as well," _I thought. I decided that I would return to the Sealed Grounds in the morning, and have another chat with Impa. I already had a plan in my head; Link would probably sleep in, so I would wake up early and head to the Sealed Grounds alone. It was that simple.

I turned back to Link, and faked like I was ready to give up. "Well, I can't think of anything. If that's all we're going to talk about, then I guess we should just head back to the Knight Academy," I said. Link nodded. "Okay. Let's go," he said. We stood up from our table, gave our bowls back to Pumm, and walked out of the Lumpy Pumpkin. We flew back to the Academy just before the sun set completely, and headed inside. I didn't have anything else to do for tonight, so I said goodnight to Link, and headed over to Zelda's room. Once I was inside, I walked over to her bed.

I took off everything except for my pants and tunic, and then I climbed into bed. I thought about everything that had happened today, and about what tomorrow would bring. I would get to have my chat with Impa, so I would probably find out what I needed to free Jack. Hopefully, Link and I would be able to clear through Lanayru Desert in just a few hours. I thought about the Temple of Time for a moment. If I was lucky, then I could probably find a way to break Jack free during the chaos. Even though Evil Jack said that it was impossible, I knew there had to be _some _way to do it. With those thoughts in mind, I drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

I suddenly woke up, and looked around. I was still in Zelda's room. I got out of bed, and put my glasses back on. _"Man, I must have been wrecked last night. It usually takes me forever to fall asleep," _I thought. I collected my other things, and then I headed out of Zelda's room. I walked down the stairs, and went to check on Link. As expected, he was fast asleep. _"Perfect," _I thought. I shut his door, and walked out of the Knight Academy.

I decided to go to the Bazaar before I left for the Sealed Grounds. I bought a Wooden Shield from Rupin, because I did _not _need to get electrocuted while Link and I were in Lanayru Desert. I noticed I had enough Rupees and the right items to get my new shield upgraded, so I did. I walked over to Gondo, and he happily upgraded my Wooden Shield into a Banded Shield.

"Thanks," I said after Gondo handed me my new shield. He smiled. "It's no problem, little buddy," he replied. I nodded, and walked away from the Scrap Shop. I was going to walk out of the Bazaar, because I didn't really need anything else. But, I passed Sparrot's tent, and decided to have my fortune told again.

The reason I was asking Sparrot to read my fortune was because I knew there was always a chance that Impa wouldn't tell me what I wanted to hear; Sparrot always told me information, even if it was cryptic. Heck, if Sparrot's fortune wasn't as cryptic as it usually was, then I might not even have to go to Impa at all. So, I walked over to Sparrot, and pulled ten Rupees out of my pouch.

Sparrot noticed me walking towards him, and spoke. "Well, hello there! My, my, my. Three times in four days? I appreciate you coming to me so often, young man. So, what would you like to find out about today?" he asked. I handed him the ten Rupees, and told Sparrot what I wanted to know. "What is the item I need to free my friend?" I asked.

Sparrot gazed into his crystal ball. "Let me see what I can see!" he repliedd. He stared at his crystal ball for a moment. However, I noticed Sparrot frown slightly at what he saw. He eventually turned back to me. "Young man, I'm sorry. I don't think I saw what you wanted me to see," he said. I became slightly worried. "Why? What did you see?" I asked. Sparrot looked into my eyes, and told me what he saw in his crystal ball.

"I didn't see an item of any sort; I saw a person. He had blond hair, and he looked like he was dead. This strange figure spoke to me. He told me to give you a message. 'Don't think you'll be getting the answer that easily, Samuel,' he said. Is that your name? Samuel?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, my name's Samuel. Did the strange figure say anything else?" I asked.

Sparrot nodded. "He also said, 'Don't waste your time going to the servant of the Goddess. You already know the answer she is going to give, so it's useless to go to her. Also, It's hopeless to try and figure out what you need, because I have it locked up in a place where you can't get to it,'" he replied.

Sparrot looked hurt. "I'm so very sorry, Samuel. That is the first time that I didn't see what someone asked for. As an apology, take back your ten Rupees," he said. Sparrot pulled my Rupees out of his pocket, but I refused them. "Thanks, Sparrot, but you've told me valuable information anyway, even if it's not what I asked for. You can keep the Rupees; I've got almost a full wallet anyway," I lied. I said goodbye to Sparrot before he could object, and walked out of the Bazaar.

After I left the Bazaar, I ran over to the nearest diving platform, and dove off of it. I called Zelda's Loftwing, and headed for the green column of light. On my way there, I thought about what Sparrot had seen. The person he saw was obviously Evil Jack. Apparently, he knew I was trying to figure out what I needed to free Jack. I didn't really worry about it, though, because I was pretty sure I'd get the answer from Impa, anyway. Evil Jack was just trying to throw me off course, and I wasn't going to let it work.

When I was directly above the column of light, I dove off of Zelda's Loftwing and descended towards the surface. I eventually passed the cloud barrier, and could see the Sealed Grounds directly below me. I piloted my body over to the Bird Statue near the Sealed Grounds, and continued falling. When I was about to hit the ground, I pulled out my Sailcloth, and gently floated to the ground.

I walked over to the Sealed Temple, killing the Deku-babas along the way. I approached the doors to the temple, pushed them open, and went inside. Impa was sitting in her usual spot, right below the light pouring in from the ceiling. She actually looked slightly surprised to see me. I walked up to her, and spoke. "Hello, Impa," I said politely.

Impa stared at me for a moment, and spoke back. "Hello, Samuel. If I may ask, why are you here?" she asked. I sat down in front of her, and decided not to beat around the bush. "I need to know what the item I need to free Jack is. If I don't get it, his evil side might remain in control of his body forever!" I said. Impa stared at me for a second, and eventually replied. "You know that I can't tell you what's going to happen, Samuel. Just like Link can't know what is going to happen to him and Zelda, you can't know what is going to happen to you and Jack. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't tell you what you need," she said.

Impa went on. "However, don't worry about Jack; you might even see him sooner than you think. And as for the item you need, don't worry about that, either. You'll find what you need eventually," she added. Impa paused for a moment, and said her goodbye. "That is all I'll be telling you for now. Goodbye, Samuel. I'll see you and Link later on in your journey," she said.

If Impa wasn't going to tell me anything else, then I had no purpose being here. So I stood up, and waved goodbye. "Bye, Impa. Keep an eye on The Imprisioned for me," I said. I didn't wait for Impa to respond, and walked out the side door of the Sealed Temple. Then, I walked into the clearing with the Bird Statue, and took out my Sailcloth. I bowed my head for a moment, and prayed. After a few seconds, I felt a huge wind blow beneath me. It caught on my Sailcloth, and I was sent back into the sky.

I eventually passed the cloud barrier, and whistled for Zelda's Loftwing. It caught me, and I flew back to the Knight Academy. I thought about what Impa had told me on my way back to Skyloft. She didn't tell me exactly what I needed, but she did basically tell me that Jack would be alright, which was a plus. _"You might even see him sooner than you think," _she had said. Was she giving me some kind of clue?

I eventually reached the Knight Academy, and shook the thoughts out of my head. I dove off of Zelda's Loftwing, walked inside the Academy, and headed down to Link's room. As expected, Link was still fast asleep. So, I walked over to his bed, and called his name out. "Link?" I asked. He didn't wake up. I didn't want to have to call Zelda's Loftwing again, and I didn't want to slap him either. So, I decided to try something new out.

I looked in Link's pouch. Luckily, there was an Empty Bottle in it. _"Maybe Link had to use a potion when we were separated in the Earth Temple," _I thought. So, I took Link's bottle, and headed up to the Bath Room. There wasn't anyone in there, so I felt the water in the bath; it was ice cold. _"Perfect,"_ I thought. I filled the bottle up with water, and headed back to Link's room.

I walked back over to Link, and took the cork stopper off of the bottle. Then, I pulled the bottle back, and threw the water at Link's face. He jerked right up. "Aah!" he screamed. I started doing a victory dance. "Yes! I found another way to wake you up without having to use a Loftwing!" I shouted. Link got out of bed, and snatched his bottle out of my hand. He was obviously pissed at me.

"Well, next time, how about you call Zelda's Loftwing instead? I actually think I prefer waking up that way; at least that didn't leave me soaking wet," he said. I smirked. "Fine, then," I replied. Link got his shield and sword, and strapped them to his back. Then, he grabbed his pouch, and started to walk out the door. "Come on, Samuel. I need to stop by the Bazaar to buy some potions before we leave," he said.

I nodded, and followed Link out of his room. We walked out of the Knight Academy, and headed for the Bazaar again. Link bought some Heart Potion, and walked over to the Scrap Shop. He had his Iron Shield fixed, and turned to leave. However, I stopped him. I told Link that he should upgrade his Wooden Shield into a Banded Shield, so he did. When he had his new shield strapped to his back, Link turned to me. "Okay, then. Let's go," he said.

I nodded, and we walked out of the Bazaar. We headed for the nearest diving platform, and jumped off of it. We called our Loftwings, and headed for the new amber column of light. When we were directly above it, Link and I jumped off our Loftwings, and descended towards the surface. I took out my Sailcloth, and so did Link. When we were about to hit the ground, we let our Sailcloths fly, and floated gently down to the ground.

Actually, we didn't float down to the ground per se; we landed on top of a tower, and got a good look at our surroundings. I could see huge Ancient Robot statues all around us. Plus, I could feel a gentle breeze blowing, which would have helped out so much more when we were in Eldin. Sure, it was hot in Lanayru, but it was absolutely nothing compared to Eldin Volcano.

After we landed, Fi came out of Link's sword to talk with us. "A report, Masters. We have arrived at Lanayru Mine. This arid region was transformed into a desert over the course of hundreds of years," she said. Link looked around the desert. Once again, he looked astonished at what he was seeing. "Wow," he said.

Fi continued with her speech. "My projections show that Zelda must have traveled through this area," she said. Link snapped out of his daze, and became serious. "Let's go find her," he said. Fi nodded, and went back into Link's sword. After she was gone, Link ran forward, and jumped off of the tower. When he got to the ground, he turned back to me. "Come on, Samuel. We're wasting time," he said.

I nodded. "Okay, Link. I'll be right down," I replied. I decided to take the safe way down, and climbed down the ladder. Link and I walked over to a nearby Bird Statue, and prayed at it for a while. I prayed that I would find out what I needed to free Jack, and also I prayed that he was doing alright. Hopefully, I would at least be closer to freeing Jack by the time we left Lanayru.

After we were done with our prayers, Link and I turned away from the Bird Statue, and stared down the path in front of us. _"Here I come, Jack,_" I thought.

**Yeah, sorry for leaving off in a random spot like that. Anyway, I'll try to publish the next chapter on Friday, like I promised. Remember to leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next time! Bye! :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Twenty-Four! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and will continue with Samuel and Link's journey through Lanayru Desert. That's about it.**

**Anyway, guess what? I just preordered The Wind Waker HD, so I'm super excited. And no, I don't care that it's about eight or nine months early; I just want it so badly. I was about six when The Wind Waker came out, and I didn't even know what it was about. I grew up a Sony kid (shocking, I know), playing Crash Bandicoot and Tony Hawk, and I barely knew Nintendo existed. The only Nintendo console I'd ever seen was an N64, and it was at my cousin's house, who I only saw on holidays. Plus, he didn't even have Ocarina of Time, which sucked, because I probably would have gotten into Zelda way sooner if he did.**

**So, Nintendo was kept clear away from me as a child. When the Wii came out, my PS2 was broken, so my mom bought me one. I was only eight, and was never really introduced to Nintendo. I actually didn't even know Zelda existed until my friend gave me a GameCube controller and the Collector's Edition to keep. And, guess what? I played Zelda, and was too young (in my opinion) to fully understand what it was about. So, guess what I did? Did you guess "Donate the collector's edition to charity?" If so, then you're right!**

******Anyway, look at how I went off on a small tangent there. Where did this whole thing start? Oh, yeah, Wind Waker HD. So, I never really got to play the game when I was a kid, which is why I'm excited for it. Anyway, let's just get to the story before I go off again. **

**As always, thanks to everyone who R&R'd, and enjoy!**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Shockingly Painful Chuchus and Big Dumb Crabs**

Link and I kept walking until we came to a cave. We walked inside, and killed some Keese that flew down at us. After they were dead, Link noticed a mine cart in front of us, blocking our way forward. He walked up to it, and beckoned me over. "Come on, Samuel. Help me move this," he said. I put my sword away, and walked up to the mine cart. Link and I pushed against the cart, and it slowly moved along the rusted track.

We kept pushing the cart, and it eventually was pushed over the edge of a small cliff. It dropped to the ground, and Link and I stood there for a moment, catching our breath. After we were done, Link jumped down into the cart. He started pulling the cart to the other side of the pit, but stopped when he saw some Yellow Chuchus appear.

Link whipped out his sword, so I jumped down into the pit, and ran over to warn him. "Link, watch out. Those yellow Chuchus aren't normal. If you attack them without looking, then-" I said. However, Link ran forward to slash at the Yellow Chuchu before I could finish my sentence. Link swiped at the monster, and it lit up with electricity just before Link's sword made contact with it.

Link's sword touched the Yellow Chuchu, and he was electrocuted. "Ahh!" he screamed. The electricity flowed through Link's sword, and I think I even saw it go through Link himself for a brief second. Link immediately pulled his sword away from the Chuchu, and backed up towards me. I decided now was a good of a time as any to finish my sentence, so I spoke up again. "They'll shock you," I finished.

Link glared at me. "Yeah, I think I can see that for myself," he muttered. I decided to finish off the Chuchus for Link, and ran forward. I pulled out my sword, and waited for one of the Chuchus to stop giving off electricity. When it did, I slashed at it, and it died. I turned to the other one, and killed it as well. When both of the monsters were dead, I walked back over to Link.

I checked to see if he was fine. "Are you okay, Link?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just was shocked for a second," he replied. I smiled. "Well, I obviously know that you were _shocked_, Link. What I want to know is if you're doing fine _now_," I said jokingly. Link grimaced. "That wasn't funny, Samuel," he said. I laughed, and helped Link move the mine cart over to the other side of the pit. When we were done, we climbed up onto the cart, and climbed out of the pit.

Once we were safely back on our feet, Link and I walked forward, and came into a clearing with a Timeshift Stone in it. I stared at the Timeshift Stone for a minute, and Link spoke up. "What's that?" he asked. I decided to play dumb with him, and pulled out my sword. "Let's see," I replied. I walked over to the Timeshift Stone, and struck it with my sword. As soon as I did, the Timeshift Stone glowed with a white light, and rose up in the air slightly. The Timeshift Stone hummed with a weird noise, and everything around me was sent into the past, including a nearby mine cart, and some Ancient Robots.

Link gasped when he saw what happened. He looked around the area again, amazed by the Timeshift Stone's effects. "Wow. That was amazing," he said. He walked over to an Ancient Robot, and pointed to a mine cart. "Can we use one of those?" he asked the robot. The robot looked back at Link, and answered. "That's a mine cart for transporting Timeshift Stones, zrrpt. They're not for human use, so get lost, vrrm!" it replied.

Link looked slightly crestfallen by the robot's words. "Oh," he said. I laughed at Link, and picked up an Ancient Flower. "Nice going, Link," I said. Link turned to me. "Shut up," he said. After he said that, Fi came out of his sword to talk with us. "Masters, I am able to confirm that a time shift has occurred within this space. Any impact to the blue stones creates a sustained temporal disruption field in the surrounding area. Readings show that this area is in a past time state," she said.

Fi went back into Link's sword, and Link turned to me. "Okay, so basically, what Fi just told us is that whenever we hit these blue stones, things get sent back into the past, right?" he asked. I nodded. "That's right," I replied. I walked back to the entrance of the clearing, and saw a mine cart. Before, it was standing completely still. But now, because of the Timeshift Stone, it was up and running again.

I turned to Link, and called out to him. "Come on, Link. Let's ride in this," I said. Link started walking over to me, and I got into the mine cart. It started moving along the track, and I passed by Link. He climbed in the cart with me, and we rode in it together. We traveled back into the clearing with the Timeshift Stone in it, and came to a door. When the cart approached the door, it automatically opened.

We entered another room, and got out of the cart. I noticed that there was a stone that looked like a basketball hoop near us, and a Bomb Flower was growing near it. I chuckled, remembering the contest I'd had with Link in Eldin. I was tempted to do another one, but resisted the urge. _"There are more important things to do right now other than con Link out of Rupees. I'll do one later," _I thought.

So, I walked over to the Bomb Flower near the stone, and picked it up. It started smoking, so I held it like a basketball, and shot it at the stone basket. The Bomb landed inside the basket, and blew up, knocking the stone basket forward. The stone landed on the ground, and a pathway was revealed. Link and I walked through it, and went into a room with sinksand, although I preferred to just call it quicksand.

"_Oh, goody. Quicksand," _I thought. I freaking _hated_ quicksand. It always seemed that no matter how hard you ran, you would always ran out of stamina at the wrong moment, and Link would sink to his doom. Luckily, there wasn't that much quicksand in the room. But, it was still there, waiting for one of us to slip up and sink to our death.

"_It's okay, Samuel. Don't worry about it too much, and both you and Link will be fine," _I thought. Link walked forward, and encountered some more Yellow Chuchus. He was cautious this time, and waited for the right moment to strike. When the Chuchus' electricity died down, Link slashed at them both, killing them instantly. Then, he put his sword away, and turned to me. He pointed to the quicksand, and asked me about it. "What is this stuff?" he asked. I had to remind myself that Link wouldn't know what quicksand was because he grew up in Skyloft. After that, I explained it to him. "It's quicksand. We're going to have to run through it if we want to get through here. It's going to slow you down, so be sure to get through it without tiring yourself out completely. One false move, Link, and you'll sink to your death," I said.

Link stared at the quicksand again for a few seconds. "Okay, then," he muttered. He actually looked worried by the quicksand, so I walked over to him, and tried to calm him down. "If you want, I'll go first to show you it's not a big deal," I said. Link nodded, and I looked ahead of me. There was a platform with a Stamina Fruit on it about five yards away through the quicksand. So, I took a breath, and ran through It.

The quicksand slowed me down slightly, but I made it to the platform without any problems, other than some sand getting in my boots. I turned back to Link, and beckoned him over. "See? It's easy, Link," I said. Link still looked slightly scared he would drown in the quicksand, but he ran over to where I was without sinking. He and I picked up some Stamina Fruit, and we were ready to keep going.

I noticed some more stone baskets, so I took a Bomb out of my bag, and threw it into the nearest one. My Bomb exploded, and the basket fell forward, creating another platform to stand on. Link and I walked onto the new platform, and took out more Bombs. We blew up some more stone baskets, and they fell forward as well, revealing some Rupees and a small hole to crawl through.

I went over the small hole, and crawled through it to enter a small room that contained some pots and a chest. I took out my sword, ready to slash at the pots. However, some small Yellow Chuchus sprang up, and I had to kill them. After they were dead, I slashed at the pots to find some Lanayru Ants. I took out my Bug Net, and caught the bugs.

After the bugs were caught, I walked over to the small chest, and kicked it open to find a red Rupee. I put it in my wallet, and crawled back out of the room. Link was already standing on the next rock with a Stamina Fruit on it, so I ran over to him. When I arrived, Link asked me what I found in the room. I shrugged. "Just some Rupees and bugs," I replied. "Oh," he said. He turned away from me, and looked into the next room. "Well, _that_ seems like fun," he said sarcastically.

I looked into the next room as well, and nodded. Inside the room was a huge pit of quicksand, and about three or four Electro Spume. It was the perfect place to get electrocuted, or drown in. Luckily, I still had my Banded Shield strapped to my back, and so did Link. So, we could block the electric balls that the Spume would throw at us without any problems.

Link and I ran into the room, and I immediately ran over to a platform on my right. Link followed me, and we continued running through the room, picking up Stamina Fruit on our way. We ran to the middle of the room, and I blocked one of the Spumes' electric balls with my shield. Then, Link and I ran over to another platform with Stamina Fruit on it, and were filled with enough energy to make it out of the quicksand safely.

We walked onto solid ground, and caught our breath for a moment. Then, we continued forward. A Yellow Chuchu sprang up in front of us, so we killed it, and walked down the path in front of us. There were some rocks in our way, so I took out a Bomb, and blew them up. However, nothing exciting happened, so we looked around some more. A few Keese flew down at us, so we killed them. I noticed another chamber to our left, and walked inside it. The room was basically a long hallway filled with quicksand. There was a rock sitting in the middle of the sand, and there were some more at the end of the hall. Also, there was a Bomb Flower at my feet.

Link walked over to me, and looked down the hallway. He apparently was confused by the simple puzzle. "Well, what do we have to do here?" he asked. Instead of replying, I picked up the Bomb Flower, and rolled it down the hall. It got caught in front of the rocks in the middle of the hall, and exploded. Link caught my drift, reached down, and picked up another Bomb Flower. He rolled it down the hall, and blew up the other rocks, revealing a Timeshift Stone.

After Link blew up the rocks, he facepalmed. I smiled, and then I took out my Beetle. I aimed it at the Timeshift Stone, and pushed the button. It flew across the hall, and I guided it over to the Timeshift Stone. When my Beetle smacked into the stone, it glowed with a white light, and sent everything around us into the past. The quicksand in the hall was replaced with grass, a Quadro Baba appeared on the ceiling, and an Ancient Robot appeared behind us, digging into the wall.

I walked out of the hall, and went back into the room with the Electro Spume in it. Link followed me, and we came to a mine cart we'd ignored before. We pushed the mine cart forward, along the rusted track. As soon as the cart crossed the blue line of the Timeshift Stone, it was immediately turned into a working mine cart, and started hovering on the track.

Link and I climbed inside the newly-restored cart, and it slowly traveled along the track. We eventually came to a door, and it automatically opened, revealing sunlight. I had to shield my eyes for a second because the light was so intense. After the light cleared, Link and I found ourselves in Lanayru Desert. The mine cart eventually stopped moving, and we climbed out of it.

We walked forward, and stared at the huge desert in front of us. I could see a bunch of interesting and dangerous things in the distance. I could see Ampilus, giant crab-like creatures with electric shells, scattered all over the desert. I could see the giant circle of quicksand that secretly contained the entrance to the Lanayru Mining Facility. Far off in the distance, I could even see the giant Hylian Crest that was near the Temple of Time.

Neither of us said a word, and Fi came out of Link's sword after a few moments. "We have arrived at Lanayru Desert. The terrain in this area changed dramatically as climate forces rapidly turned it into a desert. I have confirmed numerous areas of sinksand. Should you step in sinksand, you may be swallowed by the desert. Bodily danger has increased by 30%. As a safety measure, I recommend you check the terrain on your maps," she said.

Link and I nodded, and Fi went on. "My readings indicate that Zelda has passed through here. As previously stated, this area is highly dangerous. I suggest reuniting with her quickly to determine her motivations behind her actions at Eldin Province," she said. Fi went back into Link's sword, and I added to her statement in my head. _"And hopefully, we'll be able to find out more information on saving Jack from Ghirahim," _I thought. After Fi was gone, Link and I walked up to a nearby Bird Statue, and prayed at it. Then, we made our way down into Lanayru Desert.

We walked down into a huge clearing filled with platforms and Ampilus. One of the Ampilus noticed us from far away, and tucked inside its shell. It charged up with electricity, and rolled straight at us. As the Ampilus drew closer to us, I held up my Banded Shield, ready to stun it.

Link took a step back, and pulled out his sword. He seemed to get what we had to do to defeat the Ampilus. "I'll slash at it after you stun it. Okay?" he asked. I nodded, and turned back to the Ampilus. Just as it was about to run me over, I forced my shield against it, pushing it back as hard as I could. The Ampilus was stunned by my block, and it bounced backward. It came out of its shell, and I stepped backward, letting Link finish it off. He slashed at the monster three times, and it gave a screech of pain. Defeated, the Ampilus fell over and left its shell behind, as well as five Rupees.

Link bent over, and pocketed the money. Then, we continued forward. Link and I had to kill another Ampilus or two, but we were alright overall; neither of us took any damage. Eventually, Link and I came to three cages. One of the cages held an Ancient Robot in it, and another one held a rock that I knew was concealing a Timeshift Stone. I climbed up onto a ledge, and Link followed me up it.

Link spotted a chest ahead, and ran over to it. "What do you think is inside the chest, Samuel?" he asked. I gave a shrug. "I don't know, Link," I replied, knowing full well that the chest only had a tumbleweed in it. Link turned back to the chest. "Well, let's see," he said. Link opened the chest, and I could tell that his face fell, even though I was standing right behind him.

Link pulled the tumbleweed out of the chest, and turned back to me. I almost fell over laughing from the expression he wore. "Um, okay. And just _what _is this?" he asked. I made my smile fade, and answered him. "It's just a tumbleweed. You can catch them with Bug Nets, and they're used to upgrade items. So, you're going to want to save it for later," I replied. "Oh," Link said, slightly crestfallen. He put the tumbleweed in his pouch.

I waited to see if Fi would come out and tell us more about tumbleweeds, but she never did. So, I hopped onto one of the three cages, and took a Bomb out of my bag. I aimed at the cage with a hole in it, and threw my Bomb in an arc. It went straight into the hole, and fell to the bottom. It eventually exploded, and revealed the Timeshift Stone. I took out another Bomb, and threw it into the cage as well.

When the Bomb exploded, the shockwave from it hit the Timeshift Stone, and it sent everything around us into the past. The Timeshift Stone went over an Ancient Robot, and it was instantly repaired. As soon as it noticed we were there, it shouted out to us. "Help, zrrt!" it said. "Help from what?" Link asked. However, his question was answered when the Timeshift Stone's line passed over a couple of piles of bones. As soon as the line crossed over the bones, a couple of Bokoblins with lightning rods sprang up into existence.

"Crap," I muttered. Those Bokoblins were so annoying, it wasn't funny; somehow, they always found a way to block you with their lightning rod, and shock you over and over. I turned to Link, and warned him. "Link, you're definitely, _definitely_ going to want to watch out for those. If you don't swing your sword at them the right way, you'll get shocked for sure, possibly over and over," I said. Link looked at the Bokoblins again, and huffed. "Well, that robot in the cage apparently needs our help, so we should just kill them and get it over with," he said. I nodded, and turned back to the Bokoblins. I jumped down off the cage, and Link followed me. I stepped up to one of the Bokoblins, and Link took on another.

My Bokoblin held up its lightning rod, and it crackled with electricity. I pulled my sword out, and ran at it. I checked to see which way it was holding its rod, and swung my sword the other way. However, just before my sword came into contact with the Bokoblin, it managed to block my strike at the last second. My sword hit the lightning rod, and I felt a huge shock go through my body.

"Ahh! Damn it!" I shouted. I tried to pull my sword away from the monster, but I literally couldn't move; I could barely muster the control to stay standing. I stayed perfectly still for a second, and that gave the Bokoblin enough time to hit me with its lightning rod again. I felt another huge shock go through my body, and I was sent onto my back.

I lied on the ground for a few moments, waiting for the pain to go away. After I felt myself regain control of my body, I stood back up, and shook myself. I turned to see if Link was having better luck than I was. Unfortunately, he wasn't. He had just gotten back up from an attack as well, and he looked pissed. "That was _way_ worse than the Chuchu!" he shouted.

I turned back to my Bokoblin, and charged at it again. I slashed my sword at it, and managed to get a hit on it. It was stunned, leaving me open for more attacks. "That's…right…you…stupid…Bokoblin…now…go…screw…off!" I shouted as I slashed at it over and over. I eventually knocked the Bokoblin on its back, and finished it off with a Fatal Blow. I jumped high in the air, and plunged my sword deep into its body. The Bokoblin gave a scream of pain, and died.

I stood back up, and looked back at Link. He had just scored a hit on his own Bokoblin, and continued slashing at it. One of his strikes knocked the Bokoblin out of the area of the Timeshift Stone. As soon as the Bokoblin crossed the line of the Timeshift Stone, it turned back into a pile of bones. "Well, I guess that's _one_ way to beat it," Link muttered.

I snickered, and picked up the heart that my Bokoblin dropped. I felt better afterward, but I still felt shaken up from all of those shocks. Unfortunately, Link's Bokoblin didn't drop any hearts, because it didn't exist anymore. However, Link didn't have time to brood. As soon as he defeated his Bokoblin, the bars around the cages slid down, freeing the Ancient Robot inside.

Link and I walked over to the robot, and it thanked us. "Thank you, zrrt!" it said. I smiled. "It's no problem," I replied. The robot continued. "If you two hadn't come along, they would have sucked the electricity out of me, vrrm!" it said. I remembered what was supposed to happen next, and pulled out my blue-silver Beetle.

The Ancient Robot stared at the Beetle. "Oh…Look at that, zrrpt… You have a Beetle. It appears to be an older model of Lanayru fabrication," it said. Link caught my drift, and pulled out his Beetle, too. "I've got one, too," he said. The robot looked at our Beetles for a second. "As thanks for saving me, I will upgrade those for you, zwoop. Give them here for a second, phwing!" it said. Link and I handed the robot our Beetles, and it turned around for a few seconds. When the Ancient Robot turned back around, it was holding two Hook Beetles.

"Awesome!" I said. I took my new Hook Beetle, and strapped it to my arm for later. The robot started explaining what it did to our Beetles. "I've added a pincer modification so you can grab things, brrrrrrrt. Be careful out there, zrrt!" it said. Link smiled. "Thanks!" he said. We turned around, and walked away from the Ancient Robot. Then, we headed over to a tree that was standing near some stone baskets. There was a Bomb Flower sitting on top of the tree, so I held up my Hook Beetle.

I aimed my new Hook Beetle at the tree, and pressed the button on it. My Beetle was launched into the air, and I piloted it towards the tree. When my Beetle came close to the Bomb, it grabbed it, and held it tightly in its pinchers. Then, I piloted my Beetle over to one of the stone baskets, and pressed the button again when it was directly above the basket. The Bomb Flower was dropped straight into the basket, and it exploded after a few seconds, revealing a blue Rupee.

I ran across some quicksand to get the Rupee, and pocketed it. Meanwhile, Link tried out his new Beetle, and blew up the other stone basket. I collected the Rupees that he uncovered, and handed them to him. Then, we walked around until we found some more stone baskets, and an Electro Spume sitting in the sand.

Link and I blew up all of the stone baskets, which took a while. When they were all down, I told Link to go ahead and collect the goodies, and that I would handle the Electro Spume. Link ran across the platforms, and I aimed my Beetle at the tree again. I let it fly, and picked up another Bomb Flower. Then, I flew my Beetle over to the Electro Spume, and dropped my Bomb on it. It hit the Spume dead on, and exploded, killing the monster.

My Beetle flew back to its bracelet, and landed on it. Then, I put my Beetle back in my pouch, and ran across the quicksand to join Link. We met up, and walked into another clearing. This clearing was filled with Hrok, giant birds, sitting in the trees. I could see about two of them within close range. But, I knew they weren't much of a threat, so I passed them by, and Link followed.

We came to another clearing with quicksand, and noticed an Ampilus lurking about in the sand. I knew that the Ampilus couldn't get to us if we stayed on solid ground, so I turned to Link, and pointed to the Ampilus. "Hey, Link. We need to kill that if we want to move forward. I'll distract it, and you'll drop a Bomb on it. Okay?" I asked. Link nodded, and took out his Beetle.

I walked over to the edge of the quicksand, and called out to the Ampilus. "Hey! Big, dumb, crab! Over here!" I shouted, waving both of my arms. The Ampilus noticed me, and tucked inside its shell. It charged up with electricity, and rolled towards me. I stood there, waiting for it to smack into the side of the quicksand pit. It eventually did, and bounced backward, stunned. I saw Link's Beetle drop a Bomb on it, and it died.

Link walked over to me, and smiled. "Did you really have to taunt it like that?" he asked. I shook my head. "No, but it sure was funny, wasn't it?" I asked. Link chuckled. "Yeah, actually, it was," he replied. I laughed, and turned away from Link. Then, I ran into the quicksand, and headed for the shell of the dead Ampilus. Link followed me, and we made it to the shell safely. We caught our breath for a second, and ran over to some solid ground.

When we got there, I took my Beetle out again, and picked up another Bomb Flower. I dropped it on another Amplius, and killed it. "I'll be right back, Link," I said. I saw a Goddess Cube on my left, and decided to get it. So, I ran across the quicksand, using the Ampilus's shell as a platform to stop at and catch my breath.

I made it to the Goddess Cube, and pulled out my sword. I charged a Skyward Strike, and sent the Goddess Cube to the sky. I remembered there was a Heart Medal in that cube's chest, so I reminded myself to get it later. After getting the cube, I dug into some small holes to find some Rupees. Then, I killed another Ampilus with my Beetle, and made my way back to Link.

We made it across the rest of the quicksand, and came to a Bird Statue. We decided to do a quick prayer, and continued onward. I killed another Ampilus, and we crossed over some more quicksand using its shell. When we made it to the other side, we walked into a dark tunnel, and came out at the Temple of Time.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! If you have any suggestions or tips on how I could improve this fic, then feel free to leave a review, whether its to praise, or to give constructed criticism. But please, for the love of Nayru, DO NOT FLAME! See how that was in all caps? That means it's important. **

**Anyway, once again, if you have any helpful tips, suggestions, or deep, dark secrets that you need to get off your chest, then feel free to review or PM and tell me them(except for that last one. You should probably talk to someone you actually know about those.) Anyway, I'll try to post the next chapter on Wednesday, so I'll see you all then! Bye! :D**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter 25! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and will continue with Samuel and Link's journey through Lanayru Desert. It will end with Samuel and Link going into Lanayru Mining Facility. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Video Game Logic**

Link and I walked into the clearing where the Temple of Time was. When we got there, I looked around. I could see the temple itself from across the clearing, and the giant Hylian Crest standing behind it was now close enough to me that it blocked the sun from my vision. There was a huge rock with a tree trunk growing on it in the middle of the clearing, giving off a pulsing purple light.

I noticed a small Timeshift Stone sitting on a nearby rock, so I pulled out my Beetle, and sent it at the stone. My Beetle smacked into the stone, and everything around it was sent into the past, including a nearby minecart and a Bokoblin with a lightning rod.

Link and I ran up to the Bokoblin, and teamed up on it. I waited for the Bokoblin to hold its lightning rod a certain way, and slashed at it, managing to stun it. Link picked up where I left off, and slashed at the Bokoblin until it died. The Bokoblin left behind a heart, so Link collected it. After the monster was dead, we climbed into a nearby mine cart, and rode it across a small ravine.

When we got out of the mine cart, I took out my Beetle again. I aimed it at a hole in the huge rock, and sent it flying. Link walked up to me. "Why are you flying it in there? There's nothing in there except a gate," he said. I smiled. "You'll see, Link," I replied. My Beetle flew into the small cavern, and I made it fly to the left. The Beetle went out of view, and the small projection screen popped up, showing the Beetle in flight.

Link looked at my screen, and facepalmed when we saw a red crystal switch. I piloted my Beetle to the switch, and activated it. The gate inside the rock opened up, and Link scoffed. "Okay, but how do we get across-'' he started. However, my Beetle flew back to my bracelet, and I aimed it at a nearby cactus, which had a Bomb Flower on it instead of the usual red plant.

I let my Beetle fly again, and picked up the Bomb Flower. "I didn't even notice that was growing there," Link mumbled. I smiled. _"It's okay, Link. Neither did I," _I thought, remembering my first playthrough of Skyward Sword. I apparently suck at noticing small details, because I'll admit right now that I had to go to the Shiekah Stone for help after spending almost sixty minutes looking around the place.

I flew my Beetle over the tree trunk, and dropped the Bomb inside. It hit the pulsing purple light, which was a Timeshift Stone. The stone activated, and a bunch of things were sent into the past. A rusted mine cart two inches away from us turned into a working one as soon as the Timeshift Stone's line crossed over it. A small rail appeared between the huge tree and where Link and I were standing, connecting the cart to the Temple of Time.

Link stared at me. "Are you ever going to tell-'' he started. "If you keep bothering me about it, then I'll never tell you. Just forget about how I know where everything is for five seconds, okay? You're driving me nuts," I interrupted. Link stared at me for a second. "Fine," he muttered. I turned away from Link, and climbed into the mine cart. _"Man, when Link wants to find out something, he'll be as annoying as Fi and Navi combined," _I thought. Then, I chuckled, and shook my head. _"Okay, maybe not that much," _I added.

Link climbed into the cart with me, and we rode towards the Temple of Time. When we passed into the rock, I immediately ducked as low as I could. "Duck, Link!" I shouted. Link listened to me, and ducked down just in time for a Deku-baba to miss him. We rode out of the rock, and stood back up. Link opened his mouth, but I put a finger to it before he could get the question out.

"You promised, Link," I said. Link shut his mouth, and grimaced. "I just want to know how you know everything that's going to happen, that's all. I think I deserve to know the truth, after all we've been through so far," he said. I pondered Link's request for half a nanosecond. "No. Not yet," I replied flatly. Now definitely wasn't the time to tell Link the truth, in my opinion. _"Maybe I'll tell him later," _I thought.

We arrived at the other side of the ravine, and got out of the cart. I spotted a nearby Ancient Flower, and picked it up. Then, Link and I walked over to the entrance of the Temple of Time. We passed by some Octorocks, and spotted a familiar face standing at the entrance. "Gorko!" I shouted.

Gorko turned around, and smiled. "Good to see you, buds! Seems like you two pop up everywhere! Though I am one to talk…Anyway, buds, there's something I am dying to tell you. It is the discovery of the century!" he said. I smiled back, and Link responded to Gorko. "Well, what do you want to tell us?" he asked. Gorko told us about how he had seen Zelda and Impa enter the temple, and how the entrance was blocked.

"I don't think we're getting past this mess. I just wish we could find out what is happening on the other side!" he added. Link stared at the pile of rubble in front of us, and turned to me. I answered his question before he even asked it. "I'm not telling you what's going on in there, Link. You'll find out later," I said. I said goodbye to Gorko, and walked away from him and Link. Link had no choice but to say goodbye as well, and followed me.

I took out my Beetle again, and blew up a small rock that was concealing a Timeshift Stone. I activated it, and a mine cart, an Ancient Robot, and some Bokoblins with lightning rods were sent to the past. Link and I drew our swords, and ran at the Bokoblins. After they were dead, the Ancient Robot started to thank us, and told us about the Temple of Time.

"That was scary, vrrrrrm…Thanks or helping me, bzzt. This is the Temple of Time. Within it is the sacred Gate of Time made by the goddess, bzzt. It's my job to patrol the outside of the temple, vrrm! If you want to reach the Gate of Time, you will need to pass through that door, bzzap," it said, pointing to the clearly blocked entrance. My best guess was that the robot couldn't see anything outside of the area of the Timeshift Stone, or maybe it was seeing what the entrance looked like in the past. Because it obviously couldn't see that the entrance to the Temple was blocked. _"Video game logic for the win," _I thought.

Link spoke up to the robot. "Are there any other ways to get into the temple?" he asked politely. The robot stared at him. "Huh? You need another way in, phoo-weep?" it asked. Link and I nodded, and the robot thought for a second. "Well, Lanayru Mining Facility and the Temple of Time are connected underground, dzzt," it said. I pulled out my map, and showed it to the robot. "Where is Lanayru Mining Facility at?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

The robot drew a little X with its finger. "Lanayru Mining Facility is right here," it replied. The robot looked at my map for a second. "This map…It looks inaccurate, bzzt. I'm going to fix it for you, zrrm!" it said. Link took out his map, and handed it to the robot as well. The robot took our maps, and turned around for a second. When it turned back around, our maps looked completely different. Everything was green now instead of the orange-ish color it was before. Plus, I noticed that there were many more pathways on the maps as well.

The robot spoke up again after it handed us our maps. "Lanayru Mining Facility is just ahead. Good luck, vrrt!" it said. It backed out of our way, and Fi came out of Link's sword. "A report, Masters. The maps you possess correspond to the actual terrain of this area with only 35% accuracy. The robot you met earlier modified your maps to show past terrain that is now submerged below the sinksand," she said.

Fi went back into Link's sword, and Link stared at his map for a few seconds. He eventually spoke up. "So, our maps show us what everything looked like in the past?" he asked. I nodded, and took out my Beetle again. I piloted it towards a nearby Timeshift Stone, and Link continued. "Well, what good are our maps if they're wrong?" he asked.

My Beetle collided with the Timeshift Stone, and it sent everything around us into the past. I turned back to Link, and answered his question with a question. "Did you listen to everything that Fi said, Link?" I asked. Link gave a small smile. "Well, if she would speak in a language that I could understand, then I would definitely listen to her," he replied.

I chuckled, and climbed into the mine cart. Link got in with me, and we were off. While we were in the cart, I took out my sword, and sent a Goddess Cube to the sky. Link and I eventually made it to the other side, and got out of the mine cart. I started to explain the map thing to Link, because it seemed like he wouldn't be getting it any time soon. "Do you see all of those little walkways on the new map? Well, they're still there, but they're buried below the quicksand. So, if we stand on where the walkways were _before_, then we shouldn't sink into the quicksand, because they're just out of sight. Understand?" I asked.

Link looked at his map again, and facepalmed. "Yeah, I get it," he replied. He put his map away, and we continued forward. We came to a small tunnel, and walked out of the clearing. We ended up back in Lanayru Desert, and walked forward. We walked through some quicksand, and ended up on a stone platform.

Luckily, I had the path through the quicksand memorized, so I didn't need to waste time pulling my map out and placing beacons all over it. _"Yeah, I'm _that_ much of a Zelda nerd," _I thought. I turned to Link. "Hey, Link. Just follow me through the quicksand, and we should be fine," I said. Link nodded, and I led him through the quicksand without any problems.

We eventually made it to the platform which contained the generator, and I took out a Bomb. I blew up some rocks to reveal a Timeshift Stone, and activated it. The Timeshift Stone glowed with a white light, and the generator, an Ancient Robot, and some Bokoblins with lighting rods were sent to the past. Link and I took out our swords, and charged at the Bokoblins. After getting electrocuted once each, Link and I managed to kill them. As soon as the battle was over, I ran over to the stool that was near me, and sat down on it. As I sat there and caught my breath, Link walked up to the Ancient Robot. He pointed to the generator. "What is this thing?" he asked.

The robot stared at him for a moment. "You are not in my memory banks, brrt," it said. Link frowned slightly. "Can you still tell me what that is?" he asked. The robot looked at Link for a second, and replied. "This is the power generator for the mechanism that opens the entrance to Lanayru Mining Facility, zrrpt! But it won't budge until you activate the remote power nodes and set those three dials to access them correctly," it said.

After the robot finished speaking, I stood back up, and walked over to where Link was standing. Fi came out of Link's sword, and spoke to us. She told us that we could now use dowsing to find the power nodes that the robot mentioned, and then she left. As soon as she was gone, Link turned to me. "Do you want to-"

"Split up to find them easier? Sure, I'm cool with that," I replied, interrupting Link. Link stared at me for a second, and gave a small nod. "Okay, then. I'll see you later," he said. We pulled out our swords, and went our separate ways, searching for the power nodes. I saw Link go off in the direction of the lightning node, so I went off in the direction of the water node.

I walked down off of the generator's platform, and went over to a huge pit of quicksand. I could see some stone baskets on the other side of the pit, as well as a cracked wall. I knew there were some hidden pathways I could walk across, so I went across them, and arrived at the baskets without any problems. After I was safely standing on solid ground, I pulled a Bomb Flower out of my bag, and set it down in front of the cracked wall.

After a few seconds of smoking, my Bomb exploded, and blew the wall up. After the dust cleared, I could see a Timeshift Stone sitting in the little crevice. I took out another Bomb, and threw it into the nearest stone basket. It went straight in, and blew up after a few seconds, knocking the basket over. I turned back to the Timeshift Stone, and hit it with my sword. The stone glowed with a white light, and sent everything around me into the past.

After hitting the Timeshift Stone, I ran over to the stone basket I'd blown up, and walked inside to find the water power node. I took out my sword, and inserted it into the node, just like a key. Then, I turned my sword to the left, and pushed it inward. The node clicked into place, and glowed with a blue light. A water symbol lit up on the node, and I pulled my sword out of it. _"Well, that's one down," _I thought.

After I activated the water node, I walked out of the small crevice, and went searching for the next node. I knew Link would get the lightning node for me, so I silently volunteered to get the fire node by myself. Besides, the water node was probably the easiest one to collect anyway. I already knew where the fire node was, so I ran back to the generator, and cut across some more quicksand until I came to solid ground.

I saw a few Ampilus crawling around, so I pulled out my shield, and strapped it to my arm. Then, I charged at the Ampilus with my sword raised in the air. The Ampilus noticed me, and barreled towards me as fast as it could. I blocked it with my shield, and pushed it backward. After it was stunned, I ran forward and slashed at the Ampilus until it died.

After that one was dead, I turned my attention to another Ampilus close by. It noticed me, and fell into the same trap as its brother. I blocked it with my shield, and killed it in a matter of seconds. After it was dead, I caught my breath for a second, and walked over to what looked like a small warehouse. However, I didn't go into it just yet. I dodged a couple of Ampilus simply because I didn't feel like killing them anymore, and ran over to a small wall switch that was near a gate.

When I got to the switch, I jumped up, and pulled it down with all of my weight. The gate to my right opened, and I let go of the switch. With my small task accomplished, I ran back to the small warehouse. There was a Bird Statue near the entrance, so I stopped at it for a bit. I said a small prayer for Jack, and then I walked over to the stone door. I lifted it up, and walked inside the warehouse.

As soon as I was inside the warehouse, I ran to my left. A Yellow Chuchu sprang up in front of me, so I killed it, and collected a Jelly Blob for my effort. After the Chuchu was dead, I slashed at some barrels to find a red Rupee, and some Bombs. I put the Bombs in my bag for later, collected the money, and continued onward. I ran across some quicksand, and stopped when I came to a small platform. An Ampilus noticed me, and rolled towards me. So, I blocked it with my shield, and killed it.

After the Ampilius was dead, I took a Bomb out of my bag, and rolled it at a rock on my left. The Bomb stopped in front of the rock, and blew up, revealing a Timeshift Stone. I ran over to it, and slashed at it with my sword. Everything in the room was sent to the past, which changed the layout of the room significantly. All of the sand in the room instantly vanished, creating a huge abyss between the front of the warehouse and the back.

A few Bokoblins with lightning rods appeared as well, but they didn't notice me yet. The last major change I could see was that all of the Ampilus in the room turned into small balls that sparked electricity every few seconds. I took a final look around the warehouse, and jumped off the block I was standing on. I decided to kill the Bokoblins first, just to get them out of my way for later. I ran to the Bokoblin nearest the entrance, and decided to kill it first.

The Bokoblin held up its lightning rod when it saw me, and charged. So, I pulled out my sword, and rushed towards it. I managed to get a hit on the monster, stunning it. I slashed at it a few more times, and it flew backward. It lay there, helpless for a few moments. While it was lying on the ground, I finished it off with a Fatal Blow. The Bokoblin dropped a heart, and I picked it up.

After getting the heart, I made my way through the rest of the warehouse, killing every Bokoblin I met along the way. I only got electrocuted once, and I was fine overall. One of the Bokoblins was guarding a small chest, so I pocketed five more Rupees when it was dead. I climbed up onto another block, where there was a digging spot. I dug it up, and received 15 more Rupees. I put them in my pouch, and continued on.

I made it to another small block, and climbed up it. I noticed that the Timeshift Stone wasn't too far away from me, so I pulled out my Slingshot, and fired at it. The room turned back to the present, and all of the Ampilus turned back to normal. The Ampilus nearest me didn't waste any time. As soon as it was back to normal, it noticed me, and barreled towards me. I blocked it with my shield, and killed it after it was stunned.

The Ampilus left its shell behind, so I dashed towards it, and climbed on top of it. The quicksand, I noticed, had a sort of current to it; it was taking everything across the room, which conveniently provided a way to get across the abyss that existed in the past. I didn't understand how a supposedly endless abyss could somehow be filled up with quicksand, but I wasn't complaining. _"Don't argue with video game logic, Samuel. Just be thankful you have a way to get across," _I thought.

The Ampilus's shell eventually carried me across the huge pit of quicksand, and I got off when I was safely on the other side. After I was safely back on solid ground, I ran over to a pathway of blocks on my right. I climbed up them, and walked back across the room. At the end of the blocks was a chest, but it only had some Eldin Ore in it. Nevertheless, I put it in my pouch for later.

There was a red block sitting near me, so I pushed it over the edge, creating a way to get back to the other side of the room. I stood there for a moment, and took out my Slingshot. I shot at the Timeshift Stone, and turned everything back to the past. Then, I put my Slingshot away, and took out my Beetle. I aimed it at one of the Ampilus balls, and let it fly. My Beetle picked up the ball, and I piloted it back across the abyss. I dropped the Ampilus ball on a small generator, and called my Beetle back to me.

After my Beetle landed on its bracelet, I put it away, and ran back to the other side of the warehouse. Then, I jumped off of the blocks, and walked over to the generator. The Ampilus ball noticed me, and sparked with electricity for a few seconds. After it was done, I kicked it into a small hole in the generator, and stood back.

The Ampilus ball lit up with electricity again, powering the generator. The gate to my left opened, and I walked inside the room. There was a power node sitting in the middle of the room, as well as a couple of chests. I found another blue Rupee in the smaller one, and a Monster Horn in the large one. After putting the goodies in my pouch, I walked over to the power node.

I pulled out my sword, and inserted it into the node. Then, I turned it to the left, and pushed inward. The node clicked into place, and a fire symbol lit up on it. With my job done, I pulled my sword out of the node, and walked out of the room. As I was walking out of the small room, I heard a voice in my head. It was Fi. _"Master Samuel, I can confirm that all three of the remote power nodes have been activated," _she said. I nodded, even though Fi wasn't actually there. _"So, Link got the other node, right?" _ I thought. Fi responded in my head.

"_Correct, Master Samuel. Master Link is currently waiting for you at the power generator_ _in front of Lanayru Mining Facility. Please make your way to him," _she replied. Fi's voice disappeared from my head, and I walked back across the warehouse. I made it out without any problems, and ended up back in Lanayru Desert.

I walked back to the gate I'd opened up before, and walked through it. I ended up back near Lanayru Mine, in the clearing with small platforms and Ampilus. I didn't waste any time, and sprinted across the clearing. An Ampilus noticed me, but I blocked it and kept going. I made my way over to the power generator, and saw Link sitting on the stool near it. When he saw me coming, he stood up, and walked over to the generator.

I walked up to Link, and spoke to him. "Hey, Link. Did anything exciting happen?" I asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, actually. I got shocked by those small balls that the crabs turn into about ten times. It was really, really annoying. Luckily, I had the chance to sit down for a while, so I should be good," he said. I nodded, and walked over to the nearby Timeshift Stone. I slashed at it with my sword, and sent the power generator to the past.

Link walked up to the power generator, apparently confused. "So, now what? I remember the robot saying that this thing opened up Lanayru Mining Facility, but I don't know the right way to set these dials," he said. I was slightly surprised by Link's words. "Wait. So, you have no idea how to set these dials at all?" I asked. Link shook his head, and I smiled. I already knew the combination; all we needed to do was turn the dials so they matched where the power nodes were on the map.

Apparently, Link had no idea how to set the dials, so I decided to give him a challenge. "Okay, Link. You honestly don't know how to turn these dials?" I asked again. Link shook his head. "No, I don't. I'm guessing you do?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, I do. However, instead of me just telling you the combination, why don't we have another little bet? If you win, I'll give you twenty Rupees. However, if you lose, you owe me twenty Rupees, just like in Eldin Volcano. Sound like fun?" I asked.

Link turned to the power generator, then back to me. He nodded. "Yeah, actually. It does sound like fun. I accept. So, what do I have to do?" he asked. I thought for a second. "All you have to do to win the bet is get the combination right within…I don't know, five minutes? Does that sound fair?" I asked. Link nodded. "Sure, that seems fair," he replied.

"Great," I said. I walked over to the stool, and sat down on it. A thought suddenly popped into my mind, and I spoke up to Link. "Oh, and Link, one more thing. In case it wasn't already clear, you're not allowed help. So, no asking Fi," I said. Link nodded, and turned to the power generator. "Okay, I get it. I'm ready when you are," he said. I nodded. "Go!" I said.

Link turned to the generator, and started thinking. Meanwhile, I started counting in my head. _"One, two, three, four, five…" _I thought_._ Link stood in front of the generator for about half a minute before inserting his sword. He turned it to the right, and tried to push the water dial inward. However, it wasn't right, and the dials reset back to the center. _"Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine…"_

"One minute down, Link!" I said. However, Link ignored me, and turned back to the dials. He tried another random setting, and it didn't work. When the dials reset themselves, I heard Link mutter to himself. "There has to be some kind of trick to it," he muttered. He turned to me, but I kept a straight face; I wasn't going to tip him off.

Link stood there for another minute and a half, thinking deeply. _"Two thirty, two thirty-one, two thirty-two, two-thirty-three, two thirty-four, two thirty-five…" _ I thought. Link decided to give it another go, and inserted his sword. He turned the water dial to a nine-o-clock position, and pushed inward. The dial lit up, and Link gasped. "Yes! I got one!" he said. He turned to me. "Getting scared, Samuel?" he asked.

I shook my head. If he was going to play mind games with me like that, then I would, too. "Actually, Link, _you're _the one who should be scared. You only have two minutes left to figure it out," I replied. Link turned back to the dials, and continued thinking. _"Three thirty-one, three thirty-two, three thirty-three, three thirty-four…" _ I thought.

Link let go of his sword, and stood in place for a moment. Luckily for him, the dials remained in place so he didn't have to start over. "That's it. I _know _there has to be some sort of trick to it now, but I can't figure out what it is," he muttered. He turned to me, but I kept my poker face going, and decided to play mind games with him again. "There might be a trick to it, and there might not be one. You only have a minute left, by the way," I said.

Link turned back to the dials, and pondered my response. He banged on the generator with his fist. "What could it be? It can't possibly be as hard as this. I'm probably overthinking it," he said. He stood there for a second, and suddenly gasped. "Wait a minute," he muttered. He let go of his sword again, and reached into his pouch. I noticed that a bead of sweat started to form on my neck, but that might have been from the heat of the desert. _"Don't lose your cool, Samuel. He might pull out the wrong thing. Four twenty-five, four twenty-six, four twenty-seven, four twenty-eight, four twenty-nine…" _ I thought.

However, Link pulled out the map of Lanayru Desert, and quickly unraveled it. He stared at it for a second, and looked around the desert. Then, he smiled. "I didn't get it before, but I think I do now," he said. He turned to me. "These dials line up with the locations of the power nodes, don't they?" he asked. I shrugged it off. "I don't know," I replied, trying to keep my face straight. Link turned back to his map. "Well, if I'm right, then that means that the fire one should go _here_," he said, turning the fire dial to a four-o-clock position. He pushed it inward, and the dial lit up with a red light. _"Four fifty, four fifty-one, four fifty-two, four fifty-three…" _I thought.

Link turned the lightning dial back to the center. "And the lightning one should go _here_," he said. He pushed the lightning dial inward, and it lit up with a yellow light. As soon as it did, I stood up from the stool, and walked over to Link. I had lost the bet, so I started to congratulate Link. "Well, well, Link. Good job," I said. I reached into my wallet, and pulled out a red Rupee. I handed it to Link. "I honestly thought you wouldn't get right, but you surprised me in the end. But, don't think next time will be so easy," I said.

Link smiled, pocketed my money, and turned to the power generator. It lit up with a green light, and I felt the ground begin to shake. Link looked behind the generator, and so did I. I could see the entrance to Lanayru Mining Facility rising up out of the quicksand, getting taller and taller by the second. It eventually towered over our heads, and stopped rising. The ground stopped shaking, and Link smiled. "Wow. I can't believe I just did that," he said.

I smiled, and remained silent. I walked over to the edge of the platform, and jumped onto the stairs leading to Lanayru Mining Facility. Link followed me, and we walked up the staircase. When we reached the top, we looked down into the darkness ahead. After staring for a second, Link broke the silence. "Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded, and walked forward. Link followed me, and we walked into Lanayru Mining Facility together.

**Well, as always, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! If you liked this chapter, or have something else to say, then leave a review or PM, and I'll get back to you. I'll try to get the next chapter out by next Tuesday at the absolute latest. If I can, I'll try and publish it Sunday. Anyway, I'll see you all then! Bye! :D**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Twenty-Six! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and will continue where he left off, which was entering Lanayru Mining Facility with Link. As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: I'm Working Out More**

**(Samuel's POV)**

Link and I continued walking down the steps, and came out in the first room of Lanayru Mining Facility. As we entered the room, I looked around at my surroundings. Link and I were standing in a small room with stone baskets, quicksand, and Electro Spume. There was a small pole standing in the middle of the room with a Bomb Flower on top of it, and there were also some switches hanging in the back of the room.

We walked forward, and spotted some Aracha, small scorpion-like creatures, on the ground in front of us. They tried to jump at me, but I took out my sword and killed them with a single slash. After all of the Aracha were dead, Link and I walked over to the pole with the Bomb Flower. I took out my Beetle, and Link took out his, too.

I aimed my Beetle at the Bomb Flower, and let it fly. It picked up the Bomb Flower, and I piloted it over to the Electro Spume on the left side of the room. I dropped the Bomb on the Spume, and it exploded. After my Beetle flew back to my bracelet, Link let his Beetle fly, and killed the Electro Spume on the other side of the room with another Bomb. We decided to separate, and I went to the left side of the room.

I stood at the edge of the quicksand for a moment, and then I took my Beetle out again. I picked up another Bomb Flower, and flew it over to a stone basket. I dropped the Bomb inside, and it exploded after a few seconds. After my beetle landed on my bracelet again, I dashed across the quicksand. I made it across safely, and caught my breath for a second. Then, I jumped up, and pulled the switch that was hanging from the wall down. I heard a click, and I knew the door that led out of the room was unlocked. I let go of the switch, and collected some Rupees that were sitting inside the stone basket. Then, I made my way back into the center of the room.

Link came back from his side of the room, and went into a small chamber that he'd opened. He opened a small chest, and took out a red Rupee. He pocketed it, and made his way back to me. "Is that all we have to do in this room?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Now, let's go," I replied. Link nodded, and we walked into the next room of the temple.

I looked across the room, and spotted two Staldras. I strapped my shield to my arm, and turned to Link. "I'll take the left one," I said. He nodded, and ran over to the Staldra on his right. I ran forward, and turned to the one on my left. The Staldra eventually noticed me, and it's eyes turned red. It charged at me, but I held up my shield, and blocked it. It was stunned for a second, and I slashed my sword at it. Luckily, I managed to hit all three of the Staldra's heads, and it died, leaving behind a red Rupee.

I picked up the Rupee, and turned around to look at Link; he hadn't managed to kill his Staldra yet because its heads weren't lining up perfectly. The Staldra charged at Link again, and he blocked it with his shield. He slashed at the monster, and managed to find all three of its heads. Link's Staldra was killed, and he turned to me. "Well, now I see what you were saying back at Skyview Temple. That one was way harder to kill than the other one," he said. Link picked up his red Rupee, and walked back to me.

"So, now what?" he asked. I turned away from him, and walked over to the other side of the room. "Follow me," I replied. Link did, and we came to a bunch of crates. There was a platform sitting in the middle of the room, but it was too high to climb up. So, Link helped me push one of the crates up against a nearby platform. After that, we climbed onto the crate, and dashed up the wall onto the platform above. There was a door sitting in front of us, so we walked out of the room.

We walked through a small tunnel, and came out in the main room of the temple. There was a Bird Statue in front of us, so we prayed at it for a while. Then, we continued forward. I saw another pole with a Bomb Flower on it, so I took out my Beetle again, and picked up the Bomb. I flew my Beetle to the other side of the room, and dropped the Bomb on some wooden crates, revealing a way forward.

Link and I walked forward, but we were held up by a yellow Chuchu. We made quick work of it, and jumped onto the platform I'd just cleared up. We climbed a ladder, and stood up. However, some Thunder Keese decided to swoop down at us, and we had to kill them as well. I managed to kill mine easily, but I don't think Link was expecting them to be electric. He swung at the Keese without paying attention, and was electrocuted.

"Ah!" he screamed. He stood there for a second, paralyzed, and then turned to me. "Now the _Keese_ can shock us?" he asked. I nodded, and Link looked pissed. "Well, that's great," he muttered. He turned back to the Keese, which had flown back up to the ceiling. It decided to swoop down at Link again, and he managed to kill it this time. After it was dead, I turned away from Link, and walked over to a nearby chest. I opened it to find a small key. I put the key in my pouch, and turned back to Link. "Are you okay, Link?" I asked.

Link nodded. "I'm fine. What was in that chest?" he asked. I pulled the key back out, and showed it to him. "It's just a key. In case you didn't notice before, there was a locked door in the room before this one. There's nothing else we can do here, so let's go back there and open it up," I said. Link nodded, and walked over to the ladder. He climbed down it, and I followed him. We jumped across the gap, and walked back into the previous room.

Link and I entered the room, and walked back to where the Staldras used to be. The door on our left was locked, so we walked over to it. I took out my key, and unlocked the door. The lock clattered to the ground, and we went inside the next room. The new room was completely worn down; like everything else, it was probably used for mining or production at some point. But now, it looked completely dead. Froak, giant puffer fish, were flying around everywhere. Plus, I saw a Beamos or two lying on the ground, completely inactive.

Link looked at the nearest Froak, and took out his sword. However, I stopped him before he could hurt himself. "Don't slash at that, Link. That's a Froak. They explode if you touch them, so use something that can hurt them from a distance, like your Slingshot," I said. Link nodded, and put his sword away. "Thanks," he said. Link took out his Slingshot, and shot at the Froak. His Deku Seed hit the Froak, and it exploded on impact.

"Wow," Link said. I gave a small smile, and took out my own Slingshot. Link and I walked onto a conveyor belt, but it wasn't moving. We walked across the belt, and came to another Froak. I aimed my Slingshot at the Froak, pulled back, and fired. My seed hit the Froak dead on, killing it instantly. After the Froak was dead, I noticed some Aracha were scuttling on a nearby wall that we could climb. I tapped Link on the shoulder, and pointed to them. He nodded, and took his Slingshot back out. We kept firing at the Aracha until every one of them was killed. After they were dead, we climbed up the wall, and found another Beamos lying on the ground. We passed it up, and came to a ladder.

After killing some more Aracha that were near the ladder, I spotted another pole with a Bomb Flower on it. Link noticed where I was looking at, and took out his Beetle. He noticed a wooden crate at the top of the ladder, and put two and two together. He flew his Beetle at the pole, and picked up a Bomb Flower. Then, he flew it back to the crate, and dropped the Bomb on it, shattering the crate.

After Link destroyed the crate, I climbed up the ladder, and so did he. There was a red floor switch on the ground, so I turned to Link. "Hey, Link. Did you put your Beetle away yet?" I asked. Link shook his head, and I pointed to cage in the middle of the room. "Okay, then. Aim it at the Timeshift Stone in the cage," I added. Link nodded. "Okay," he replied. He let his Beetle fly, and piloted it to the center of the room.

Just before Link's Beetle smacked into the side of the cage, I stepped onto the red switch. I heard a clicking sound, and the bars on the cage were lifted up. Link's Beetle went inside the cage, and smacked into the Timeshift Stone. As soon as it did, the stone glowed with a white light, and sent the entire room into the past.

I looked around the room, which looked brand-new. Everything was back up and running, including the conveyor belts and the Beamos. Link's Beetle flew back to his bracelet, and he put it away. Link looked around the mining facility for a moment; he noticed the Beamos standing below him, and turned to me. "What are those?" he asked, pointing to the Beamos. I stepped off the floor switch, and walked over to where Link was. Then, I started to explain the Beamos to Link.

"Those are called Beamos. They can be pretty tricky, but you should get the hang of how they work after you've killed a few. If you get close to it, then you can slash your sword right through its body. Do you see that blue line, Link? That's its weak spot. If you slash at that, it'll come crumbling down, and you can finish it off with a poke in the eye. But, be careful: they can shoot laser beams at you, so you have two choices. You can either fight them, or just dodge the laser and move on, although it's better to get them out of the way, in my opinion," I said.

Link stared at the Beamos for a second. "Is that everything?" he asked. I nodded. "Pretty much. Want a demonstration?" I asked. However, before Link could answer no, I jumped off the platform, and charged at the nearest Beamos. It was turned away from me at the moment, so I took out my sword, and charged at it. I slashed at the blue line in the middle of its body, and cut it in half. Its head remained, so I finished it off with a thrust to the eye. The Beamos shorted out, and exploded, leaving behind a blue Rupee.

I turned back to Link, who was still on top of the ladder. "See? It's easy," I said. Link gave a small nod, and jumped down to where I was. He eyed the Beamos across the platform, and took out his sword. "I'll practice on this one. Okay?" he asked. I nodded. "It's all yours," I replied. Link charged at the Beamos with his sword in the air. However, the Beamos was facing Link, so it started shooting a blue laser out of its eye. Link tried to dodge it, but he was just slow enough to get hit by it. He was shocked for a second, but he carried on like nothing had happened.

Link approached the Beamos, and slashed at the blue line. He cut it in half, and poked it in the eye with his sword. The Beamos exploded, and Link turned to me. "Okay, let's keep going," he said. I nodded, and we carried on. We came to another ladder, and climbed down it. After we were safely at the bottom, I turned to look at what was in front of us: a conveyor belt.

The belts were now up and running, thanks to the Timeshift Stone. About one new thing was being dropped on to the belt every two seconds. It was either a Stamina Fruit, or some weird-looking crystals embedded in rock. I knew we had to cross the belt, so I turned to Link. "You go first, Link. There's only enough Stamina Fruit for one of us, so we should go one at a time," I said. Link nodded, and stepped onto the conveyor belt.

Link began running along the conveyor belt, crossing it at an ever-so-slow rate. He dodged some crystals, and looked like he was about to give in when he came to the Stamina Fruit. Link snatched the fruit up before it could pass him, and ate it. Link swallowed the fruit, and suddenly charged forward. He made it to the end of the belt, and jumped off on the right side.

Link stood on the other side of the room, and caught his breath. After he was done, I remembered a small thing I could do first. So, I jumped onto the conveyor belt, and ran across it the short way as fast as I could. I crossed the belt, and jumped onto the other side, where there was a ladder. I climbed the ladder, and came to a wall switch. Then, I jumped up, and grabbed the switch with both hands. It was pulled down, and clicked into place.

I looked across the room, and saw a bar-covered door with a Beamos guarding it. Suddenly, the bars rose off the door, and it was unlocked. After getting the switch, I jumped down to where the belt was, and got back on it. Unfortunately, I wasn't on the track team at school, so it wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to run across a huge conveyor belt, dodging sharp crystals without slowing down. I knew that if I slipped up, I could be sent into the electric fence behind me, or worse: I could fall right off the belt, and plummet to my death.

I pushed those thoughts out of my head, and stared straight ahead. I saw a small green Stamina Fruit plop onto the belt, and start to move towards me. I was almost halfway across the belt, and was starting to feel weak. As the Stamina Fruit passed me, I reached down, and picked it up. I shoved it in my mouth, swallowed it, and kept going. The Stamina Fruit filled me with a short burst of energy, and I noticed I was nearing Link.

Link kept getting closer and closer to me until I jumped off the belt and landed on the ground face-first. I laid there, trying to regain my normal breathing pattern. _"That's it. I'm working out more when I get home," _I thought. I usually found the time to do a quick work out about once a week outside of gym class, but it obviously wasn't doing the trick. Even with my change in regimen in the past few days, I still felt like I was going to pass out.

I laid on the ground for a few more seconds, and eventually settled my breathing down. I stood back up, and caught Link smiling at me. However, his smile quickly disappeared when I caught him. "What's so funny? You wouldn't have made it across either, if it weren't for the Stamina Fruit," I said. Link nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's just keep going," he said. I nodded, and turned to a nearby ladder. "Actually, Link. I'll be right back," I said. I didn't wait for Link to protest, and crossed the belt. Then, I walked up to the ladder, and climbed it.

When I got to the top of the ladder, I ran forward at the Beamos in front of me. I slashed at its blue line, and followed up with another thrust to the eye. After the Beamos was dead, I walked over to the door I'd uncovered, and opened up a small chest that was inside. I found a red Rupee in the chest, so I pocketed it, and went back to where Link was.

After I met up with Link, we walked up a couple flights of stairs. We noticed another door, but it had bars on it, so we ignored it for now. I looked ahead, and noticed another conveyor belt. I knew there was a switch and another Beamos at the end of the belt, so I offered to get it by myself. However, Link insisted that he should, and hopped onto the belt before I could object. I saw him run up the belt, and pass out of sight.

After about a half minute of waiting, I saw the bars on the door suddenly slide up, unlocking the door. A few seconds later, Link reunited with me. "Are you okay?" I asked. Link nodded. "I'm fine. That Beamos got me once, but I should be alright. Let's keep going," he replied. I gave Link a quick once-over. He looked like he got shot by the Beamos's laser a couple times, definitely more than once. But, he seemed alright overall, so I nodded. "Alright, then. If you say you're fine, then I'll believe you. I just don't want you playing the hero and getting yourself killed by accident, that's all," I said.

Link smiled. "I think it's too late to not be playing the hero, Samuel. We're already too deep into this journey," he said. I chuckled, and we walked over to the door. I bent over, and opened the door. Link and I walked into the next room, and looked around. We were standing in a room with a bunch of small platforms in it. Some of the platforms had rocks on them, and some of them were too high to jump onto. Also, there were about five or six Froak scattered around the room.

I looked around the room for another minute, and turned to Link. "Come on, Link. Follow me," I said. Link nodded, and I jumped down to the ground. I walked to the right, and climbed a small ladder. As soon as I was safely on top of the platform, I took my Slingshot off of my belt, and held it in my hand. I aimed it at one of the Froaks, pulled back, and fired. My seed hit the Froak, and it exploded.

Link climbed up the ladder, and noticed I had my Slingshot out. He put his Beetle back into his pouch, and took out his Slingshot as well. I clipped mine back onto my belt, and ran forward. I jumped across two platforms, and saw a pile of rocks lying on the platform in front of me. I turned around to see Link standing right next to me. He pulled back his Slingshot, and fired it at the nearby Froak. Link's seed hit the Froak, and it was killed in another fiery explosion.

Unfortunately, the Froak's explosion wasn't close enough to the rocks to blow them up. So, I took out my Bomb Bag, strapped it to my belt, and opened it up. Then, I pulled out a Bomb Flower, and tossed it at the rocks in front of us. It landed right in the center, and blew them all up, letting us advance forward. I jumped across some more platforms, and Link followed me.

We eventually made it to a huge ladder. Link put his Slingshot away, and climbed up the ladder. I climbed up after him, and we came to a chest. Link opened it up, and pulled out two identical Gust Bellows. He looked at them for a second, and handed one to me. "What are these?" he asked. I lifted my Gust Bellows over my shoulder, and pointed it downward. "These are called Gust Bellows. They can blow a continuous stream of cold air at things," I replied.

I pointed my Gust Bellows at a small pile of sand, and pressed a button on it. Unlike the game, I couldn't actually see the air itself coming out of the Gust Bellows. However, I knew it was there, because the sand was instantly blown away, revealing some Rupees. I bent over, and collected them. Then, I stood back up. "You try it, Link," I said. Link nodded, and pointed his Gust Bellows at another small pile of sand. He pressed he button, and the sand was instantly blown away.

Link bent over and collected his own Rupees. Then, he put his Gust Bellows back in his pouch, and so did I. "Well, that's a pretty nice item to have. Why couldn't we have those in Eldin? They would've cooled us off in no time flat," he said. I chuckled, and walked back over to the ladder. I climbed down it, and Link followed me. We jumped across the platforms again, and eventually came to another Froak.

I decided to show Link that he could kill Froaks with his Gust Bellows, and took mine out. I aimed it at the Froak, and pressed the button. A steady stream of air hit the Froak, and it was pushed backward slightly. I kept it up, and continued pushing the Froak backward until it hit a wall and exploded. I laughed maniacally, and put my Gust Bellows away. _"Well, that was fun," _I thought.

Link and I made it across the rest of the room, using our Gust Bellows to pick up goodies along the way. We eventually came to another ladder, and climbed up it. There was a door in our way, but it was completely blocked by a huge mound of sand. When Link caught up with me, I already had my Gust Bellows out. He took his out, and we blew all of the sand away until the door was completely uncovered. Link and I put our Gust Bellows away, and walked through the door.

We ended up back in the main room of the temple. There was a red crate in our way, so I pushed it to the side, and uncovered a ladder that we could use as a shortcut to come back here any time we wanted. I jumped down onto the platform with Thunder Keese on it, and Link followed me. We dodged the Keese, and made our way back to the center of the room. "Come on, Link. We need to go back into the room before this one again," I said. Link nodded, and followed me out of the room.

When we got into the previous room, I immediately jumped down to the ground on our left. When I hit the ground, I took out my Gust Bellows, and aimed it at a mound of sand. I pressed the button, and blew the sand away, revealing a red floor switch. Link caught my drift (no pun intended), and took out his own Gust Bellows. He blew away the sand that was stopping a nearby crate from moving, and started pushing it.

I helped Link out, and we eventually pushed the crate on top of the red floor switch. As soon as we did, I heard a clicking noise, and turned around. The door on the other side of the room was unlocked, revealing another way through the temple. Link and I walked over to the door, opened it up, and walked inside.

We were standing in a room filled with quicksand. Link took out his Gust Bellows, and used it to take care of a nearby Froak. He pinned it up against a wall, and it exploded. After it was dead, I ran across some quicksand to another platform. "Follow me, Link," I said. Link did, and we ran across the quicksand, stopping to catch our breath every once in a while. Link and I kept crossing platforms until we did a huge U-turn around the room. Link killed another Froak, and we arrived at a huge mound of sand.

Link used his Gust Bellows to blow the sand away, revealing a purple Timeshift Stone. I took out my sword, and slashed at the stone, sending the entire room to the past. All of the quicksand disappeared, transforming the room into a huge abyss. All of the platforms we'd crossed before now had some kind of magnet-shaped propeller on them. I knew we could use our Gust Bellows to blow the platforms across the abyss, so I took mine out, and strapped it to my belt for later.

Link and I walked back onto the platform, and Link seemed to get what we had to do. He aimed his Gust Bellows at the propeller, and pressed the button. The wind pushed on the propeller, and it began to spin. However, the platform started moving backwards, so Link had to switch directions. Once he got the right direction down, we gently floated across the abyss, and made it back to a gate we'd passed earlier.

There was a pinwheel on the top of the gate, so Link aimed his Gust Bellows at it, and started to blow wind at the pinwheel. As the pinwheel turned, the gate in front of us slowly started to rise upward. Link eventually got the gate completely open, and we walked inside it. I saw a Beamos straight ahead, and this one was twice the size of the ones from before.

Link and I took out our swords, and charged at the Beamos. It targeted me, but I managed to dodge its laser, leaving Link open for an attack. He aimed at the first blue line of the Beamos, and slashed through it. The tower shorted out, and disappeared. The Beamos itself stopped firing after the attack, so I ran forward, and continued where Link had left off. I slashed at the other blue line of the Beamos, and the second tower disappeared. The only thing left was its eye, so Link finished it off with a thrust. The Beamos shorted out, and exploded.

After catching our breaths for a second, Link and I walked forward, and came to a small ladder. We climbed down it, and I looked around for a minute. I saw another magnetic-propeller platform to our left, so I walked up to it, and pulled out my Gust Bellows. I pushed the button, and blew wind at the platform, slowly moving it across the abyss. However, I suddenly heard a noise, and stopped. I looked upward to see a Senorbe hovering in the air above me.

"_Oh, goody. It's a freaking Sentrobe," _I thought. Sentrobes annoyed me greatly. It wasn't because they were hard to kill; they were actually really easy, and gave out a lot of Rupees to boot. I hated them simply because it took _forever_ to kill them, and I'm not joking when I'm saying that. They were too far away to slash with your sword, and, to top it off, none of the items worked against them.

To kill a Sentrobe, you had to wait for it to come to you. And, they wouldn't just fly at you directly. They would fire rockets at you first, and you had to do a Shield Bash and deflect it back at them. Plus, that would only short out the Sentrobe. After it was done with the rockets, it would fire Bombs at you, and you had to waste your time killing them as well.

After thinking about the Sentrobe for a second, I put my Gust Bellows away. I took out my sword and shield, and waited for the Sentrobe to fire at me. I heard Link call out to me. "Can you handle that by yourself?" he asked. I nodded, and turned back to the Sentrobe. It fired a rocket at me, and I deflected it back with a Shield Bash. The Sentrobe was shorted out, and fired two bombs at me.

The bombs flew towards me, and I slashed them in half when they got too close. After the bombs were gone, the Sentrobe fired another rocket at me. I Shield Bashed again, and the Sentrobe was hit by its own projectile. It closed up, and exploded, showering me with green and blue Rupees. I ran around, and collected all of the Rupees. After that, I took out my Gust Bellows again.

Link walked to the right, and waited for me to blow the platform over to him. When I did, he stepped onto it, and waited for me to get on. When I was safely on the platform with Link, I blew the platform back across the abyss, and came to solid ground. We got off the platform, came came to another ladder, and climbed it.

There was another Beamos waiting for us on top of the ladder, so I didn't waste any time. I took out my sword, and killed it in a few seconds. After it was dead, Link took out his Gust Bellows, and blew on a pinwheel until the door to his right opened. I remembered that there were a bunch of enemies in the next room, so I turned to Link. I asked him if he was okay, and he nodded.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" he asked. I turned to him, and shrugged. "Nothing really. It's just that there are a bunch of enemies in the next room. If I remember correctly, there's two Staldras and an Armos in there," I said. Link thought for a second. "So, there's two of those three-headed monsters, and there's a…what did you call it? An Armos?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, an Armos. Don't worry, Link; we can worry about that after we've killed the Staldras. Let's just focus on them for now," I replied. Link nodded, and I reached down to the ground. I pushed the door upward, and we walked into the next room. As soon as Link and I were inside the room, bars covered the entrance, preventing us from leaving.

I looked ahead, and saw two Staldras in front of us. Then, I turned to Link. "Split up?" I asked. Link nodded, and walked over to the Staldra on our right. I took the one on the left, and pulled out my sword. The Staldra noticed me, and charged. I quickly blocked it with my shield, and stunned it for a second. I took a chance, and slashed at its heads. Unfortunately, my sword only connected with two of them, and the Staldra regenerated after a few seconds.

After the Staldra regenerated, it's eyes glowed red, and it charged again. Once again, I blocked the monster, and took another chance. I slashed at the Staldra, and connected with all three of its heads. It fell over, and died, leaving behind a red Rupee. I looked over at Link, who had just blocked his Staldra. He immediately slashed at the Staldra's heads, and killed it. He bent over, and picked up the red Rupee it dropped. Then, he turned to the Armos, which was standing perfectly still. "Okay, so what can you tell me about this?" he asked.

I thought for a second. "Well, Armos can be annoying, if you don't handle them right. You'll definitely need your Gust Bellows, so make sure that's out," I said. I looked down at Link's belt, and saw that it was already out. "Okay, you're one step ahead," I said. I walked to one side of the room, and saw a crate partly buried in sand.

I took my own Gust Bellows out, and blew the sand away, freeing the crate. As I pushed the crate across the room, I kept explaining the Armos to Link. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. You'll need your Gust Bellows because the Armos has one of those rotating propellers on top of its head. You're going to have to blow air at it until the Armos opens up its mouth," I said. By now, I had the crate pinned up against the wall, so I climbed it, and dashed up the wall.

I could see a chest in front of me, but it was protected by bars. I also saw a mound of sand on the other side of the bars. I knew the sand concealed a Timeshift Stone, so I took out my Gust Bellows again, and continued explaining the Armos to Link. "Anyway, once you open its mouth, all you have to do is stab at the crystals inside it. However, there's one on each side, so you'll have to do it twice. And one more thing; it can't leave that circle on the ground, so you can hide outside of it if you need to heal yourself," I said. I pushed the button on my Gust Bellows, and blew the sand away, revealing the purple Timeshift Stone.

However, I didn't hit it just yet. I turned to Link again. "Now, I'm going to hit this Timeshift Stone. That'll bring the Armos to life, so you'll get a small head start on it if you use your Gust Bellows on it. I'll be down in a second to help out. Ready?" I asked. Link nodded, and aimed his Gust Bellows at the Armos's head. I took out my Slingshot, and fired at the Timeshift Stone. As soon as my seed hit the Timshift Stone, the stone glowed with a white light, and sent the room into the past.

As the Timeshift Stone's line crossed over the Armos, it suddenly creaked to life in front of Link. It noticed him, and tried to jump forward. But, Link blew air at the Armos's propeller, and it froze in place. As more air turned its propeller, the Armos slowly opened its mouth. Link saw the crystal, and quickly put his Gust Bellows away. He slashed at the crystal, and it exploded.

I jumped down to where Link was, and took out my Gust Bellows again. We both aimed at the propeller on top of the Armos's head, and blew wind at it. The propeller spun around, forcing the Armos to open its mouth again. I quickly put my Gust Bellows away, and ran forward. I stabbed the crystal inside the Armos's mouth, and the Armos started freaking out. It opened and closed its mouth a few times, shorted out, and exploded, leaving behind a bunch of hearts.

Link and I collected the hearts, and looked at the door the Armos was guarding. Suddenly, the bars on the door slid upward, and the door was unlocked, revealing a way out. Plus, the bars in front of the chest were lifted as well. Link ran forward, and dashed up the wall. I saw him walk over to the chest, and open it. He walked back to where I was with two Dungeon Maps in hand. He handed one to me, and stuffed the other one in his pouch.

We caught our breath for a couple of moments, and I spoke up. "You ready to go on, Link?" I asked. He nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go," he replied. I nodded back, and we walked over to the door the Armos was guarding. I bent over, and opened it up. Then, Link and I walked out of the room together.

**Well, I hoped you enjoyed reading that chapter! Sorry if it seemed boring, but there wasn't really much I could do with it, other than just have Link and Samuel go through the temple. If you have anything to say, then leave a review. I'll try to post the next chapter on Friday, so I'll see you guys then! Bye! :D**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello, readers! It's time for Chapter 27! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and will cover the rest of Lanayru Mining Facility, up until the Moldarach boss fight. Yes, you're going to have to wait another chapter for it! MUWHAHAHAHA! ;) Anyway, guess what? As of this chapter, this fic has passed 100 thousand words!**** :D So, I want to say thank you to all of you guys for helping me make it this far. So, thanks. Also, thanks to ToonLink, Ashlee S, and EternalCacogen323 for reviewing last chapter! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Bye!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Blow Harder**

(Samuel's POV)

Link and I walked out of the room with the Armos, and we ended up back in the main room of the temple. "I'll be right back, Link," I said. I ran ahead of Link, passed some quicksand, and stepped on a floor switch that was near a locked gate. I heard a clicking sound, and the bars of the gate were lifted up, creating a route back to the beginning of the temple.

After activating the switch, I walked back to the edge of the quicksand, where Link was waiting. There was an Electro Spume sitting in the sand, so I decided to take care of it. I took a Bomb out of my bag, and rolled it at the Spume. My Bomb stopped right in front of the Spume, and exploded, killing it instantly. After the Spume was dead, I took out the Dungeon Map that Link had collected in the previous room.

I didn't have these pathways completely memorized yet, so I studied the map for a few seconds, looking at the small pathways in the quicksand. Eventually, I looked up from my map, and walked over to where the first pathway was supposed to be. Link followed me, and we stood in front of the quicksand for a few moments. "So, there are more hidden paths that we have to walk over?" Link asked. I turned to him, and nodded. "Yeah, but if you check your map, you should be fine," I answered.

Link nodded, and took his own map out. He looked at it for a second, and put it away. "Okay, then. Let's go," he said. I nodded, and turned back to the quicksand. I walked into it, and felt solid ground beneath my feet. Knowing that I was safe, I began to walk forward. Link caught up to me, and we made a left turn. We walked onto a small piece of ground, and I took out my Gust Bellows.

I aimed my Gust Bellows at a small mound of sand that was blocking a hole I could crawl through. I knew that the hole would only lead me to a Goddess Plume, but I decided to go get it anyway. So, I blew the sand away, and turned to Link. "Hey, Link. If you want, wait up for me near that second mound of sand. I'll be right back. I want to get something small first," I said. I turned to leave, but Link stopped me.

"Hold on a moment, Samuel. What are you going to get? You're not going to trick me like you did in Skyview Temple, are you?" he asked. I chuckled, and shook my head. "No, it's just a Goddess Plume. We'll probably need one later to upgrade some items, so I'll just get it while we're here. I promise I won't trick you," I said. Link nodded, and started making his way over to the second mound of sand.

I went into the hole I'd uncovered, and crawled through the tunnels until I came to a chest. Then, I opened it, took out a Goddess Plume, and put it in my pouch. When I came back out of the tunnel, I found Link waiting for me near the second hole. I took out my map for a brief second, and looked at the paths in the sand again. Then, I put my map back in my pouch, and walked over to Link. Luckily, Link had already killed the Electro Spume and yellow Chuchu, so I made it to him without any problems.

When I met up with Link, I asked him if he was okay. He nodded. "I'm fine. I got shocked by some Chuchus on my way over here, but I still have my Heart Potion and my Fairy," he replied. He looked down at the hole he'd uncovered, and bent down to crawl into it. As soon as Link was lost from view, I bent down, and crawled into the tunnel with him.

As we crawled through the tunnels, I thought about how far we'd come. Link and I were getting close to the end of Lanayru Mining Facility, which meant that we were almost at the Temple of Time. I knew what was waiting for us after we defeated Moldarach, and I began to think about it. I was pretty sure that Evil Jack would show up along with Ghirahim at the Temple of Time, but I didn't know how that would affect everything.

I eventually decided that, when we got there, I would try to free Jack by fighting him. I knew that Evil Jack said it was impossible to free Jack that way, but I had no other options. I still didn't have a clue of what the item I needed to free Jack was, which sucked. If Jack had only had another second or two of freedom at the Earth Spring, then I would at least know what the item was. I might have even managed to get it by now, if I was lucky. However, that wasn't the case, and I was just going to have to suck it up, and move on.

"_It's okay, Samuel. Impa even told you that Jack will be fine, so there's really nothing to worry about. She even said that you would see him sooner than you think," _I thought. _"But, what if she was lying? What if Impa lied to me so I wouldn't feel bad about Jack? What if he doesn't make it?" _another voice in my head added.

I quickly shook those thoughts out of my head before they took over. Right now, I couldn't afford to think like that. Deep down, I just _knew_ Jack had to make it. He and I just _had_ to survive this whole ordeal; there was no alternative. There simply wasn't another option. We _had_ to make it through this. I kept thinking like that until Link and I came to another hole. We crawled out of the tunnel, and stood back up.

We were staring down into a room with sand. However, I knew that wasn't all the room contained. So, I turned to Link, and began to warn him. "Hey, Link. Watch out in this room. There are huge spikes hidden underneath all of this sand, so we're going to have to blow it all away to find a switch. I say we should split up, so we can find the switch easier. Got it?" I asked. Link nodded. "Got it," he replied. I nodded back, and we jumped down into the room.

As soon as I made contact with the floor, a huge set of spikes suddenly shot up to my right. I ignored them, and took out my Gust Bellows. Link took out his, and we began blowing sand out of the room. I kept blowing sand away until an Aracha suddenly sprang up out of nowhere. I put my Gust Bellows away for a second, and killed the small scorpion.

After the Aracha was dead, I looked around the room again, and noticed a Froak floating around. I decided to take care of that was well, and pulled out my Gust Bellows again. I blew air at the Froak, and pinned it up against a wall. When it made contact with the wall, it exploded, and I continued blowing sand throughout the room.

While I was blowing sand around, I saw Link go off in the corner of the room; he uncovered some pots, and slashed at them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a red Fairy pop out of one of the pots. Link turned to me, and shouted from across the room. "Hey, Samuel! I found a Fairy, if you need one!" he said. I stopped blowing sand, turned to Link, and shook my head. "I'm good, Link. I can't carry it; I still have a Heart Potion and another Fairy in my pouch. You said you were hurt by those Chuchus outside, so heal yourself with it," I replied.

Link nodded. "Thanks," he said. He turned back to the Fairy, and walked into it. The Fairy revolved around Link a few times, and eventually disappeared, leaving Link looking brand-new. "Wow. That felt really cool," he said. I chuckled, and went back to blowing the sand. _"Let's just hope you don't have to use one of those when you really need it, Link," _I thought.

Eventually, after many close calls with the spikes, one or two more Froaks, and a few more Aracha, I blew some sand away to reveal a purple floor switch. "Finally," I muttered. I stepped onto the switch, and heard a clicking noise. I turned to a nearby door, and saw the bars in front of it lift upward. Link noticed what I had done, and put his Gust Bellows away.

"Well, then. Let's get out of here," he said. I nodded, and made my over to a nearby set of stairs. I waited for a moment, and Link eventually caught up with me. We walked up the stairs, and came to the door I'd unlocked. I lifted the door up, and we walked out of the room.

Link and I ended up in front of a mine cart covered in sand. I took out my Gust Bellows again, and blew the sand away, revealing a bunch of crystals with a Timeshift Stone in the middle. Then, I took my sword out, and slashed at the Timeshift Stone. It glowed with a white light, and sent everything around us into the past. The mine cart was activated by the Timeshift Stone, and it began to slowly move forward.

As the mine cart came closer to the abyss in front of it, a small platform suddenly materialized out of nowhere. As it neared the abyss again, another platform appeared. I ran forward, and beckoned Link to follow. "Come on, Link. Let's see where this leads us," I said. Link nodded, and caught up with me. We walked along the platforms, following the mine cart.

The mine cart eventually came to what appeared to be a small chunk of rock. However, as I looked closer, I recognized the chuck of rock to be a Sentrobe. "_Great," _I thought. I turned to Link, and pointed to the Sentrobe. "Hey, Link. There's a Sentrobe over there, so I'll take care of it. All you need to do is blow the small pinwheel on top of the gate with your Gust Bellows, so the mine cart can move forward. Okay?" I asked.

However, Link shook his head. "Actually, I'll handle it. You killed the last Sentrobe, so it's only fair that I should get this one," he replied. Link and I continued debating over who should get to kill the Sentrobe for a while. We actually got so into it that neither of us noticed the blue line of the Timeshift Stone cross over the Sentrobe. It immediately sprang up, noticed the two of us standing there, and fired a rocket at us.

I heard the Sentrobe fire its rocket, and turned towards the noise. "What was th-" I said. However, the rocket was headed straight towards me, and I didn't have enough time to react. I couldn't bring my shield up in time, and was blasted backward. I landed five feet away, and got back up. I actually started to laugh, even though it made my chest hurt. "Okay, Link, you can have it," I said. Link gave a smirk. "See, Samuel? I knew you'd come to your senses," he said with a small laugh. He turned back to the Sentrobe, and pulled out his sword and shield. The Sentrobe focused solely on Link, leaving me free to open the gate.

I took out my Gust Bellows, and aimed it at the pinwheel. Then, I pressed the button, and blew air at it until the gate started to rise upward. It eventually clicked into place, and the mine cart started to pass under the gate. I suddenly realized what I had done, and I gasped. _"Crap. Why in Din's name did I do that? Link hasn't killed the Sentrobe yet," _I thought.

The cart started for the other side of the gate, and I had no choice but to go after it. Link had already shorted out the Sentrobe, but I knew there wouldn't be enough time for him to defeat it and catch up to me. I turned to him, and started to apologize. "I'm so sorry, Link! That was my fault! I'll meet up with you at the end of those stairs, okay?" I shouted. Link nodded, and slashed at one of the Sentrobe's bombs. "It's okay, Samuel! I'll see you in a bit! Just don't die on me!" he shouted.

I nodded, and continued following the mine cart. It eventually got to the point where the Timeshift Stone couldn't reach the gate, and the platform connecting Link to me disappeared. I knew I was by myself, at least for now. _"Sorry about that, Link. I feel like a complete idiot," _I thought. However, I couldn't continue with those thoughts for long, because the mine cart was approaching a broken Beamos.

I quickly ducked behind the mine cart, and the Beamos on the other side was reactivated just in time for it to miss me. I walked behind the cart for a few seconds, and noticed another Beamos blocking the mine cart's path. _"Awesome," _I thought sarcastically. I took out my sword, and waited for the new Beamos to be reactivated. When the Timeshift Stone crossed over the Beamos, it rose up in front of me, and I sprinted forward. I slashed at one of its towers, and it was destroyed.

I took a quick breath, and slashed at another of the Beamos's towers; it was destroyed as well. I did a final thrust to the eye, and the Beamos shorted out and exploded. The mine cart continued forward, and approached some more Beamos. Once again, I ducked behind the mine cart to avoid them. They fired their lasers at me, but they were blocked by the mine cart.

I continued hiding behind the mine cart, and eventually came to solid ground. The mine cart came to the end of its rail, and hovered in place. I looked around, and noticed another gate with a pinwheel. Now that the mine cart was near it, the gate could be opened. So, I took out my Gust Bellows, and blew wind at the pinwheel. The gate eventually opened completely, creating another path to the front of the temple.

After I opened the gate, I walked down a path on my left. I came to another huge mound of sand, and took out my Gust Bellows again. I blew the sand away, and revealed another mine cart with a Timeshift Stone in it. I put my Gust Bellows back in my pouch, and struck the Timeshift Stone with my sword. The stone sent the mine cart it was sitting in into the past, and the cart lurched forward, creating more platforms to stand on.

I followed the mine cart, and it eventually came to another Beamos that was standing off to the side. There was a gate behind the Beamos, but it was locked. I knew I had to get rid of the Beamos if I wanted to enter the door, so I jumped off of the platforms, and quickly ran up to it. I slashed at the Beamos's towers, and stabbed at its eye before it knew what hit it. After the Beamos died, I turned back to the mine cart, and quickly jumped back onto the platforms. Eventually, the mine cart passed in front of another pinwheel, and it was activated.

I took out my Gust Bellows, and aimed it at the pinwheel. As I blew wind at it, I saw the bars in front of the door slowly rise. However, the cart was moving farther away from me each second, and the platforms that were created by the Timeshift Stone were starting to disappear. _"No! Come on, blow harder, you stupid Gust Bellows!" _I thought.

Despite my pleas, the Gust bellows kept blowing wind and spinning the pinwheel at the same rate as before. Just before the platform I was standing on vanished, the bars on the door clicked into place. _"Yes!" _I thought. I ran forward as fast as I could, and made it to another, more stable platform just as the previous platform completely vanished. I ran over to the mine cart, and caught my breath.

As I was catching my breath, I looked over at the other side of the room, and saw Link standing near the Bird Statue. He had his sword out, and was battling a gigantic yellow Chuchu. I saw him slash at the Chuchu, and it split into two regular-sized ones. However, Link tried to slash at them too quickly, and was shocked. He stood in place for a second, paralyzed, and continued battling.

"_Really, Link, when will you learn? Haven't you noticed by now that it's not a good idea to slash at those things after you split them up?" _ I thought. I saw Link slash at the Chuchus again, and split them into four smaller Chuchus. This time, he waited for a second before slashing, and it paid off. Link did a Spin Attack, and killed all four of them at once.

After Link killed the Chuchus, he walked up to the Bird Statue. He prayed at it for a second, and then he noticed me from halfway across the room. He walked to the edge of the platform he was standing on, and spoke up. "Hey, Samuel! Are you doing alright? Did you get anything done?" he asked. Luckily, Link didn't have to shout for me to hear him. Even though he was halfway across the room, I could still hear what he said perfectly, thanks to my Hylian ears.

I nodded, and spoke in a normal voice. "Yeah, Link. I'm doing fine. I managed to open up a few new passages, so I should be back with the weird key thing in a few minutes," I replied, referring to the Ancient Circuit. Link nodded, and responded. "Okay, then. I'll just stay here and see if there's anything else I can do to help out. I'll see you in a bit," he said. I nodded. "See you, Link," I said.

After I was done speaking, I turned away from Link, and went back to the mine cart. I knew I had to reverse its direction, so I deactivated the Timeshift Stone with a swipe of my sword. Everything around me was transformed back to the way it usually looked, but it didn't stay that way for long. I hit the Timeshift Stone again, and the mine cart started moving again.

I followed the mine cart until it came to the platform with the door I'd unlocked. I walked over to the door, lifted it open, and walked inside the next room. Once I was inside, I looked around at the room I was in; it was completely run down, which must have meant that there was another Timeshift Stone somewhere. There were conveyor belts scattered all around the room, but they weren't moving at the moment. I could see gusts of hot air blowing out of several pipes, which posed a threat; if I got hit by one, I would be blown into the abyss, and dead for sure.

I walked forward, and managed to get past the gusts of air without trouble. I approached a vine wall, and saw several Aracha scuttling around on it. So, I took out my Slingshot, and shot all of them down. After all of the Aracha were dead, I jumped up, and began to climb the vine wall. I climbed upward, trying to dodge more gusts of hot air. I climbed to my right, and waited for another gust of air above me to stop blowing. When it did, I climbed upward, and stood up on solid ground.

As soon as I stood up, a Thunder Keese flew down at me. So, I took out my sword, and slashed at it. Luckily, the Keese wasn't electrified, and I sliced it in half, leaving behind a green Rupee. I picked it up, and walked forward. I passed by a broken Beamos, and came to some stone baskets hanging on the wall. So, I took out my Bomb Bag, and opened it up. I took out a Bomb Flower, and held it above my head. I aimed for the nearest stone basket, and threw my Bomb inside.

My Bomb Flower smoked for a second, and exploded, knocking the stone basket forward. It suddenly stopped falling, and created a platform for me to stand on. I took another Bomb out, and threw it at the basket that was further away from me. It went straight in, and blew up after a few seconds. The stone basket fell forward, and created another platform. I put my Bomb Bag away, and jumped across the stone baskets. Eventually, I came to a huge mound of sand.

I took out my Gust Bellows, and blew the sand away to reveal another Timeshift Stone. Then, I put it away, and struck the Timeshift Stone with my sword, sending the entire room into the past. I turned around, and crossed the stone baskets again. On my journey back, I looked around the room. The conveyor belts were functional again, as well as some platforms with propellers on them. Plus, I knew that two Armos were waiting for me, guarding the Ancient Circuit.

I jumped back onto solid ground, and walked forward. The Beamos I'd passed by before was now fully functional, so I knew I had to take care of it. I pulled out my sword, and charged at it. The Beamos fired its laser at me, but I dodged it, and slashed at its first tower. It stopped firing when I hit it, and left me open to destroy its second tower. I slashed at the second tower, and destroyed it, leaving only the Beamos's head behind.

I followed up with a thrust to the eye, and killed the Beamos, which dropped a blue Rupee. I picked the Rupee up, and walked over to the conveyor belts. They were dropping huge chunks of crystals every few seconds, so I had to time my run across. I waited a few seconds, and suddenly sprinted across. I made it to the other side safely, and walked over to a wall switch. I jumped up, and pulled the switch down. When I did, I heard a clicking noise, and turned my head around to see one of the propeller platforms moving closer to me.

When the platform was close enough to jump onto, I let go of the switch, and jumped onto it. I took out my Gust Bellows, and blew wind at the propeller, sending the platform and myself across the abyss. When I was safely on the other side, I jumped off the platform, and walked forward. I saw some stone baskets, and a Sentrobe as well. The Sentrobe noticed me, and fired a rocket at me.

I quickly brought up my shield, and deflected the Sentrobe's rocket back at it. It was shorted out, and decided to send a couple of Bombs at me. When the Bombs were close enough, I slashed straight through them, and turned back to the Sentrobe. It fired another rocket at me, and I deflected it again. The rocket hit the Sentrobe, and it exploded, showering me with Rupees.

After collecting the Rupees, I turned to the stone baskets. I already knew the answer to the puzzle in this room, so I decided not to waste my Bombs blowing these ones up. Instead, I turned to a nearby propeller platform, and took out my Gust Bellows. I blew the platform back across the abyss, and it stopped in the middle of the other platform's track.

I jumped back onto the platform from before, and blew wind at its propeller until I reached the new platform. Then, I jumped onto it, and blew wind at its propeller until I was safely on the other side of the room. I got off the platform, and walked over to a red crate. Then, I pushed it out of the way, and continued forward. I came to yet another propeller platform, and jumped onto it.

There were three more stone baskets hanging on the wall, and these were the ones that mattered. I blew myself to the first stone basket, and threw a Bomb Flower in it. I didn't waste my time, and blew myself to the second one. I threw another Bomb into it, and made my way over to the third one. I blew it up as well, and put my Bomb Bag back into my pouch; I wouldn't need it for a while.

After I had all three baskets blown up, I took out my Gust Bellows again, and blew myself back to the first stone basket. I took out my Slingshot, and shot a seed at the crystal switch inside. My seed hit the switch, and it split apart. Nothing important happened, so I made my way back to the last stone basket. I took my Slingshot out again, and fired at the crystal switch, which split apart.

Once again, nothing happened, so I jumped back onto the propeller platform, and blew myself back to the second stone basket. I fired at the crystal switch, and it split apart. When my seed hit the switch, I heard a clicking noise, and turned to my left. The gate on the other side of the room slid open, allowing me access to the two Armos inside.

I blew myself back to solid ground, and walked into the room with the two Armos. My strategy was to only focus on one Armos at a time, so I took out my Gust Bellows again, and ran at the one on my left. It jumped towards me, but I blew air at its propeller, and stopped it from coming any closer. As I kept blowing air at its propeller, it slowly opened its mouth, revealing the crystal inside.

As soon as the Armos's mouth was open, I put my Gust Bellows away, and took out my sword. I slashed at the crystal, and the Armos was stunned for a second. It closed its mouth, and started to jump towards me again. I took my Gust Bellows back out, and opened its mouth again. I slashed at the other crystal, and the Armos exploded, leaving behind a heart.

I collected the heart, and turned to the other Armos. Then, I walked over to it, and spun its propeller until its mouth opened. I slashed at the crystal inside, and the Armos closed its mouth. It jumped straight at me, and, unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to pull out my Gust Bellows again. The Arms crashed into me, and I was sent backward a few feet.

The Armos retreated to the inside of its circle after its strike. Then, I got back up and shook myself off. _"Well, I guess you shouldn't expect to beat both of them without taking damage at least once_," I thought. My chest hurt a little from the Armos's attack, but I was alright overall. I took my Gust Bellows back out, and charged at the Armos again. I blew more wind at it, opened its mouth, and defeated it with a slash to the other crystal. The Armos exploded, and the gate in the middle of the room slid open.

I walked into the small room with the white chest, and opened it up. I pulled out the Ancient Circuit, and stuffed it into my pouch. Then, I walked out of the room, and started making my way back to Link. I walked out of the Armos's room, and climbed down a ladder in front of me. I made my way back through the room unharmed, although I had to kill another Beamos along the way.

I eventually came to the door leading out of the room, so I opened it, and walked out of the room. I ended up right near the boss door, and I could see Link standing near it. He waved to me, and I waved back. "I'll be right over, Link," I said, He nodded, and I walked over to a Bird Statue. I did a quick prayer, and then I turned to a mine cart with a Timeshift Stone in it. I activated the stone, and the cart started moving forward, across the small abyss.

The Timeshift Stone activated another propeller platform, so I jumped onto it, and took out my Gust Bellows again. I blew air at it, and followed the mine cart across the track. I had to stop once or twice because there were gusts of wind in my way, but I made it across safely, and walked over to Link. He smiled, and asked me if I got the Ancient Circuit. "Did you get that weird key?" he asked.

I nodded, and pulled it out of my pouch. "Here it is," I replied. Link took the Ancient Circuit from my hands, and started at it for a second. "So, how was it being by yourself? What did you have to do?" he asked. I explained to Link about the crystal switch puzzle, and the Armos fight. "Plus, I had to activate like a hundred Timeshift Stones," I added. Link laughed.

"Well, at least you had fun. The only thing I got to do was battle a giant Chuchu, but I'm sure you saw that," he said. I nodded. "Yeah, I did. And, here's a quick tip, Link: don't slash at those things right after you split them in half; they always electrify themselves when you do," I said. Link nodded, and gave a small smile. "Yeah, I think I figured that out after getting shocked for the thousandth time," he replied sarcastically. I chuckled.

Link then turned to the boss door, and held up the Ancient Circuit. We kept turning and twisting it until we eventually found the correct way to put it in the door. When we did, the Ancient Circuit floated into the lock. The lock lit up, spun around a few times, and opened, revealing the way into the boss chamber.

I knew Moldarach was waiting for us inside the chamber, so I started to think. I already knew how to beat it, so hopefully Evil Jack wouldn't show up to make it worse. We already had enough stuff to deal with without him making everything more complicated. Actually, I was honestly more worried about what would come after Moldarach than Moldarach itself. Link and I were getting very, very close to the Temple of Time, which meant a whole lot of stuff was about to go down.

I remembered what I had thought about earlier, about fighting Jack. If I was lucky, then I would find a way to free him, even if it was only for a few seconds. In that time, I should be able to at least find out what it is I need to free Jack for good. If I was really, really lucky, then I might even be able to free him completely. However, I suddenly realized I was getting ahead of myself; Link and I still had one more job to do, so I turned to him.

"Okay, Link. Are you ready?" I asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, Samuel. I'm ready. Let's go and face whatever's in there," he replied. I nodded, and turned back to the huge wall of darkness in front of us. I took a deep breath, and Link and I walked into the boss chamber.

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you liked it, then leave a review on the way out! The next chapter will be in Samuel's POV again, and will cover the Moldarach boss fight, and the Temple of Time. I'll try to publish it on Wednesday if I can, so I'll see you guys then! Bye! :D **


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Twenty-Eight! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and it will cover the Moldarach boss fight and the Temple of Time. Thanks to ToonLink, dragonyahoo20, EternalCacogen323, and TheSunsetWolf for reviewing last chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! Bye!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up. **

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: This is Just Pure Awesomeness**

Link and I walked into the boss chamber, and the doors slammed shut behind us. We were standing in a room with sand, lots and lots of sand. Link walked forward, and started looking around the room. He spoke up after a few seconds. "Where's the huge monster?" he asked. I had to hold in a laugh. _"Oh, you'll find out, Link. I'm about to summon it," _I thought. After that thought, I started laughing, and Link turned to me. "What's so funny?" he asked.

I shook my head. "You wouldn't understand, Link," I replied. I started looking around the room with Link, even though I knew Moldarach would be appearing any second. Link spoke up after a moment. "Is this a fake room? Do you think there's nothing he-" he started. However, he quickly stopped when he heard a rumbling noise. A huge line of sand suddenly appeared, and it went under our feet. It stopped in the middle of the room, and there was a tense moment of silence.

Before anyone could speak up, Moldarach suddenly jumped out from under the sand. The eyes in its claws glowed red, and it snapped them at us. Moldarach gave a huge screech, and charged towards us. Link and I backed away from it, and quickly drew our swords. Link held up his sword, and charged a Skyward Strike. He slashed at Moldarach, but his strike missed it completely.

I charged at Moldarach, and swung my sword at one of its eyes. Luckily, my sword connected, and Moldarach gave a screech of pain. I backed away from Moldarach, and caught up to Link. He tried to copy what I did before, and ran up to Moldarach. He tried to slash at one of its eyes, but he didn't make it in time. One of Moldarach's eyes turned red, and it pulled its claw back, trying to capture Link. "Link, get out of there!" I shouted. Link tried to back away from Moldarach, but he was too slow to escape. Moldarach swiped down at Link, and grabbed him it its claw.

Link was lifted up into the air, and he struggled to free himself. "Ahh! Let…me…go!" he shouted. Link eventually freed himself, and landed on the ground. He stood back up, and I charged a Skyward Strike, trying to keep Moldarach back. I swung my sword, and my Skyward Strike connected with one of Moldarach's eyes. The claw exploded, and we retreated for a second.

I turned to Link. "Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded, although he looked pretty hurt from my perspective. "I'm…I'm fine. I've still got my Fairy, and my Heart Potion. Don't worry, Samuel. We…we can definitely beat this thing," he said. I stared at Link for a second. "Well, drink your Heart Potion if you need to. I don't think you'd like to die right now, even if you'll just come back. When I died, it took about five minutes or so for me to come back, so you'll just be wasting time if you do. Plus, you'll leave me by myself," I said.

Link nodded. "I promise I'll drink my Heart Potion if I get hit again," he said. I nodded, and turned back to Moldarach. I charged another Skyward Strike, and sent it at Moldarach's remaining claw. It hit dead on, and Moldarach gave another screech of pain. Link charged forward, and tried to slash at Moldarach again. His blade connected with Moldarach's eye, and its other claw exploded.

When Moldarach realized both of its claws were gone, another eye, smaller than the first two, opened in the center of its body. It started digging into the ground, and was completely lost from view after a few seconds. I quickly pulled out my Gust Bellows, and told Link to do the same. He did, and we started blowing the sand away, looking for Moldarach. After about twenty seconds of searching, Link found it.

He called out to me. "I found it, Samuel! Let me take care of-" he started. However, Moldarach suddenly jumped out of the sand, and cut Link off. Its smaller eye glowed red, and it stabbed at Link with its tail. Link wasn't expecting that to happen, and couldn't block in time. He was sent backward, and got back up.

A soon as Link was on his feet, he reached into his pouch, and took out his Heart Potion. He drank the whole thing, and put the bottle back into his pouch. Moldarach turned to me, and I had to turn my attention to it. It tried to swipe at me with its tail, but I blocked it with my shield. I took a chance, and charged forward. I stabbed at Moldarach's smaller eye, and it gave another screech of pain. Then, it buried itself in the sand again.

Link and I pulled out our Gust Bellows, and started searching for Moldarach again. As we searched, I called out to Link. "Hey, Link! Are you alright?" I asked. Link turned to me, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. That Heart Potion helped out a lot. Is there anything else I should know about this thing?" he asked. I quickly nodded. "Yeah, actually. For one, don't try and block it if it charges at you; get out of the way, because your shield won't hold it back. And, in case you didn't notice before, you can only stab at its smaller eye; slashing won't work now," I replied.

Link nodded, and we continued looking for Moldarach. I eventually found it, and it sprang up in front of me. It closed its eye, and tried to charge at me. However, I jumped out of the way, and dodged it completely. Link ran up to Moldarach after it finished charging, and stabbed at its eye again. Moldarach gave another screech of pain, and buried itself in the sand once more.

Link and I continued searching for Moldarch, and I eventually found it. As soon as Moldarach popped out of the sand, I didn't waste any time. Before it could prepare an attack, I charged forward, and tried to sneak in another strike. Luckily, it worked. When my blade connected with Moldarach's eye, Moldarach gave off a huge screech of pain. _"Yes!"_ I thought. We had won.

Moldarach froze in place for a second, and sank to the ground. Then, it turned black, and exploded into darkness. Link and I calmed down our breathing, and Link eventually spoke up. "Well, I guess that wasn't too hard," he said. I nodded. "Yeah, I guess not," I replied.

Link and I waited in silence for a few seconds, and eventually saw a white light flash in the middle of the room. A Heart Container appeared in the middle of the room, and floated down to the ground. Link tried to walk towards it, but he stopped when he felt the ground shake. He turned to me. "What's happening?" he shouted. I chuckled at him. "It's okay, Link. Nothing bad is going to happen. You'll see," I replied.

Suddenly, all of the sand began to drain out of the room. A huge vortex appeared in the middle of the room, and all of the sand drained out of it. When the rumbling stopped, Link and I were left standing on solid ground. I could see the golden door in front of us, pulsing with blue light. Link walked over to the Heart Container, and I followed him.

When we got to the Heart Container, Link and I each held a hand over it. Link started to count. "1…2…3…Now!" he shouted. We touched the Heart Container at the same time, and I was once again filled with more energy than I'd ever had before. The Heart Container disappeared, and we turned to the golden door. We walked over to it, and it disappeared, revealing a dark hallway. Link and I walked into the hallway, and came out in an even huger hall.

I looked around at what I was seeing. There were huge Ancient Robot statues lined across the walls, and there was a broken mine cart sitting at the edge of a huge ravine. Plus, there was a chandelier-like thing hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. Sitting inside the chandelier was a purple Timeshift Stone. I pointed it out to Link, and he took out his Beetle.

Link pressed a button, and sent his Beetle flying towards the Timeshift Stone. When his Beetle made contact with the stone, it glowed with a white light, and sent the entire room into the past. Everything in the room lit up with a blue light, and the Ancient Robot statues looked brand new. The mine cart was functioning as well, so Link and I climbed into it, and it started moving.

As we traveled across the ravine, I thought about what was ahead of us. _"Well, Samuel. This is it. You and Link are going to the Temple of Time. You've got to find a way to free Jack, and you've got to do it fast," _I thought. I quickly went over the events that were supposed to happen in the Temple of Time, and came up with a thought. _"Wait a minute, Samuel. You and Link are going to be trapped behind Ghirahim's fire wall. You can't cross it until it dies down, so you're just going to have to wait until then to try and free Jack," _I told myself.

The mine cart eventually came to the other side of the ravine, and Link and I got out. We walked over to a staircase, and stood there for a moment, neither of us saying a word. Eventually, Link broke the silence, and spoke up. "Let's go, Samuel," he said. I nodded, and started walking up the staircase. Link followed me, and we came out in the Temple of Time.

The Temple of Time looked exactly like it did in the game. I could see the huge Hylian Crest standing in the background, and the Gate of Time as well. I heard a girl's voice singing, and looked below the Gate. Zelda and Impa were standing beneath the spinning gear, and Zelda was playing her Goddess Harp. I listened to what she was singing, and recognized it as the Ballad of the Goddess.

I turned to Link, who was staring straight ahead at Zelda. He had a look of complete relief on his face, and I suddenly felt really sorry for him; I felt like a complete jerk for at least not warning him about what was going to happen. "Link, wait a minute. There's something you need to know," I started. However, Zelda suddenly decided to turn around, and stopped my warning. When she saw Link and I, her face broke into a huge smile. She called out to us. "Link! Samuel!" she shouted.

Zelda tried to run towards us, but she stopped in her tracks when the wall of boulders blocking the entrance was completely blown apart. The sky darkened drastically, and two figures suddenly jumped out from the dust. Ghirahim and Evil Jack landed on the ground in front of us, and Ghirahim didn't waste any time. He immediately turned to us, and swept his sword upward. As if out of nowhere, a huge wall of flames shot up in front of Link and I; we were trapped.

All I could do was watch as Evil Jack and Ghirahim charged at Zelda and Impa. Impa suddenly broke away from Zelda, and she screamed with terror. "Impa!" she shouted. However, Impa continued rushing forward to stop the evil pair. As soon as she was about to collide with them, Impa held out her hand, and conjured up a huge blue force field. Ghirahim and Evil Jack crashed into it, and couldn't get any closer.

I watched as my best friend and the Demon Lord started slashing at the force field. Impa quickly turned to Zelda, and shouted to her. "Your Grace! Quickly, to the gate!" she said. Zelda obliged, and backed away from the battle. I turned back to Ghirahim and Evil Jack for a second, and saw that neither of them were holding up.

I kept staring at the two for a while, and I thought I saw something. I thought I saw Jack stop swinging his sword for a fraction of a second. But, he quickly resumed, so I decided it must have been a trick of the light. Instead, I turned away from them, and concentrated on Zelda. She had just made it to the other side of the temple. She held up her Goddess Harp, and it floated out of her hands. "Link, here! You'll need this where you're going!" she shouted.

Zelda's Goddess Harp flew straight across the Temple of Time, and landed straight in Link's hands. He held it for a brief second, staring at it in wonder. Then, he snapped out of it, and put the harp in his pouch. Luckily, the flame wall in front of us was starting to die down, so I pulled out my sword, ready to fight. I heard Impa shout "Go! Now!" and Zelda backed near the Gate of Time.

Suddenly, I saw Evil Jack turn around, and stare at our fire wall. He turned to Ghirahim, and tried to warn him. "Master! They're escaping! Should I-" he started. However, Ghirahim interrupted him. "Yes! Stop them at all costs, and I'll handle the servant by myself!" he shouted. Link and I jumped over the fire wall, and charged towards Evil Jack. He broke away from Ghirahim, and ran forward to meet us.

"_Okay, Samuel, this is it. No screwing around. You've got to free Jack right here," _I thought. We charged towards Evil Jack, and eventually came within striking distance of him. I quickly swung my sword at Jack, but he managed to block my strike. Link ran forward, and tried to slash at Jack. However, Jack managed to block his strike as well. Link backed away from him, and we both charged forward.

Link and I stabbed at Jack at the same time, and he was forced to jump backward to avoid us. He snuck a quick look at Ghirahim, and then he made his sword disappear, for some reason. _"What's he doing?" _I thought. Jack reached into his pocket, and pulled out something. Then, he turned to me, and spoke up. "Samuel, quick! It's dangerous! Take this before Ghirahim notices!" he said.

Jack threw the thing he was holding at me, and I caught it. I looked at the object in my hands, and a surge of recognition hit me like a ton of bricks; I was holding my Ocarina of Time replica. It looked just like the real thing, which was something I was proud of. I remembered getting it from my parents on my 15th birthday, and I never parted with it. Never. It, along with my Master Sword replica that was now the Goddess Sword, was my most prized possession. I cherished it even more than my Wii and my Zelda games. It was that special to me.

I stared at my ocarina for another second, and took another look at Jack. As I looked closer, I noticed that Jack's eyes weren't glazed over; they were perfectly normal. _"So, that's why Jack stopped whenever he was slashing at the force field! He must have found a way to free himself!" _I thought. "Jack? How in the hell are you free? I thought that we need-" I said. However, I stopped speaking when I realized how stupid I sounded.

Why in Farore's name hadn't I thought of it before? I didn't need that special item anymore, because I was freaking _holding _it. I held up my ocarina. "Is this it? Is this what we need to set you free? My ocarina?" I asked. Jack nodded. "Yeah, that's it," he replied. I glanced at my ocarina for a second, then back to Jack. "How did you get this?" I asked.

Jack shook his head. "You don't want to know," he replied. Jack looked like he went through hell and back to get this for me, so I didn't question him. I thought for a second, and suddenly realized what I had to do. I was inside a Zelda game, even if it was the wrong one. And, as any Zelda fan could tell you, Zelda game plus musical instrument equals magical effects. I held my ocarina up to my mouth, and spoke to Jack.

"Well, I'm guessing I have to play a song on this to set you free, so what is it?" I asked. Jack smiled, and began to reply. "It's the Song of-" he started. However, Jack stopped before he could get the words out. He started holding his head, and sank to his knees. I saw his eyes flicker once or twice, and I knew he didn't have much time left.

However, Jack couldn't speak; he was concentrating too hard on not losing control to do it. I saw him reach into his pocket again, and pull out a small scroll. He held it up, and I tried to grab it from him. However, Jack apparently couldn't hold on any longer. His eyes glazed over, and I knew his evil side was back in control. Jack quickly turned away from me, and chucked the scroll as hard as he could. It flew away from me, and started to fall into the darkness below.

Out of pure instinct, I held my hand out, and concentrated with all of my might, trying to summon the scroll into my grasp. However, for some strange reason, the scroll kept falling downward, and it was eventually lost from view. I turned back to Jack, and put my ocarina away. Then, I drew my sword, and charged at him. I was going to break him free if it killed me. Twice.

I slashed at Evil Jack as hard as I could, but he managed to summon his sword, and block me. I quickly tried to slash again, but I got parried again. Link ran forward, and we both slashed at Jack at the same time. However, he blocked us again, and countered with a Spin Attack. Link and I were sent backward, and we landed on our backs.

Evil Jack started to taunt us. "And to think that you two are Hylia's chosen heroes," he said. I could feel a gash in my chest, but I ignored it, and got back up. _"That's it. He's all mine," _I thought. I charged at Jack once more, and was once again parried. I tried to attack again, but Jack incredibly managed to block me again. After my second strike, he held out his hand behind him, and turned his head around for a brief moment. "Nice try," he said.

"_Um, hello? Earth to Evil Jack, I'm standing over here," _I thought. Jack flicked his hand upward, and turned back to us. However, before I could launch another attack, I heard what sounded like breaking glass, and looked over Jack's shoulder. Ghirahim had just broken Impa's force field, and she was thrown backward. However, Ghirahim paid no attention to her. Instead, he turned his sights to Zelda, who was running toward the Gate of Time.

"No!" Link shouted. He shoved past me, and managed to get past Evil Jack as well. "Get away from her, you bastard!" he shouted. Link jumped up high in the air, and did a Jump Attack. Ghirahim was about two inches from Link's blade when he dodged it by doing a huge backflip. Ghirahim jumped over all of our heads, and landed on the other side of the Temple. Evil Jack snapped his fingers, teleported away from us, and reappeared right next to Ghirhaim.

I could hear a conversation between Link and Impa going on in the background, so I turned away from Evil Jack and Ghirahim. Impa was holding an energy ball in her hand, and she was holding Zelda back. "Link! You and Samuel must go now. Return to the old woman at the Sealed Grounds. Tell her what happened here. She will know where you must go! And know that we will-" she started. However, she was interrupted by Zelda. "I'll see you again! This isn't good-bye, Link! I promise! And you too, Samuel! I'll see you both again, I promise!" she said.

Zelda was suddenly cut off, and she and Impa backed into the Gate of Time. Impa dropped her energy ball on the ground in front of the gate, and there was a huge explosion. After the dust cleared, I saw that the Gate of Time was completely destroyed. I looked back at Ghirahim again, and he looked absolutely pissed off. He looked at us, and spoke up. "Now you three have done it. I blame myself. I should have reprimanded _you_ the last time we met, but instead I was…soft," he said, turning to Link. He turned to me, and went on.

"I should have killed _you_ when I first met you, Samuel. But of course, that blithering servant of Hylia had to mess up my plans, and snatch you from my clutches," he said. Then, Ghirahim turned to between Link and I. "And of course, let's not forget about _you_, my little servant. I should have noticed that you managed to free yourself before, but it doesn't matter. Right now, no one but me and him," he said, pointing to Evil Jack, "can hear or see you. And to think that you were so close to freedom as well," he said.

I was confused by Ghirahim's words. "Who are you talking to? Me? Or…" I trailed off. I realized what must have happened: for some reason, Jack was still with us, but I couldn't see him. "Jack? Where are you?" I shouted. Evil Jack laughed, and turned to Ghirahim. "Go ahead and leave, Master. I think I can handle them from here," he said.

Ghirahim then turned back to us. "I'd take pleasure in punishing you three right now, but I have no time for recreation. But next time, I'll do more than just beat you senseless. I'll make the affair so excruciating, you'll deafen yourselves with the shrill sound of your own screams," he said. Ghirahim spun his sword in a circle, and vanished from sight.

Evil Jack turned back to me, and answered my question from before. "Your friend is standing right next to you, Samuel. But like my master said before, only he and I can see and hear him. And to answer _your _question, Jack," he said. Evil Jack turned between Link and I again, and continued. "Don't play dumb with me. I shouldn't have been so naïve and careless. I honestly thought I had that ocarina locked up in the Silent Realm I made, but you obviously found a way to get into it and retrieve it," he said.

Now, I was even more confused. "A Silent Realm? There's more of them?" I whispered. _"Well, that's just freaking great. As if four of them wasn't enough," _I thought. Evil Jack went on, interrupting my thoughts. "However, it doesn't even matter that Samuel has his ocarina back. Because, as you know, there's one crucial piece to the puzzle that's missing. And the worst part, Jack, is that even if you _do_ manage to tell Samuel the song he needs…" he said.

Evil Jack trailed off, and seemed to change his mind about something. He smiled, and went on. "Actually, I'll keep that a secret for now. I will tell you this, though: you won't be getting rid of me as easily as you think you will. And that goes for all of you. You won't be getting rid of me that easily. My master has a few tricks up his sleeve to make sure of that. Anyway, I think that's enough for now. Goodbye, Samuel, Link, and Jack. Until we meet again," he said. Evil Jack snapped his fingers, and completely disappeared.

I turned around, and shouted as loud as I could. "Jack! Can you hear me?" I asked. However, no one replied. Link looked at me like I was starting to lose my mind, and walked up to me. "Samuel, it's no use. Jack might be standing here, but we can't see or hear him right now. Maybe we should just head back to Skyloft," he said. I was completely appalled at Link's suggestion; I didn't come all this way to leave empty-handed.

"No way, Link! If you were as close to freeing Zelda as I am to freeing Jack, would _you_ want to leave him behind?" I asked. Link remained silent, and I scoffed at him. "I didn't think so," I said. I thought about everything that had just happened, and pulled my ocarina back out of my pouch. As soon as Link saw my ocarina, he spoke up. "Okay, first things first. What is that?" he asked.

I almost completely lost it at Link's words. _"Wow, I never thought I would hear Link ask what an ocarina was," _I thought. I turned back to Link, and answered him. "This is an ocarina, Link. It's just a musical instrument, like the Goddess Harp that Zelda gave you. I can play music on it, and if I'm right…" I said. My voice trailed off, and I decided to see if I actually was right.

I raised my ocarina to my mouth, and closed my eyes. I decided to play a song that would give an immediate effect, something that would prove my theory right in an instant. So, I blew into my ocarina, and played the Song of Storms. As soon as I finished playing, I opened my eyes, and waited. Immediately, there was a huge clap of thunder that shook the entire temple. Dark storm clouds suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere, and it began pouring down rain.

I started getting wet from the rain, and Link started flipping out. "Ahh! Samuel, what did you do?" he asked. I smiled, and had to remind myself that Link wouldn't be expecting this to happen; after all, he didn't grow up using an ocarina to do magic, or at least pretend to do it. "Don't worry, Link," I replied. I put my ocarina to my lips again, and played the Sun's Song. As soon as I finished, it stopped raining, and the storm clouds disappeared.

I smiled. "I am right. I can play songs on my ocarina to do stuff, like make it rain, or teleport. Speaking of which, I'll be right back," I said. I wanted to try out the teleport songs, and see if they would do anything. I raised my ocarina to my lips again, and played the Minuet of Forest. After I finished it, I saw a huge green light come out of nowhere. It completely obscured my vision, and I felt weightless for a second.

When the light cleared, I started to feel gravity's effect again. I felt my feet touch the ground, and looked around; I was back in Faron Woods. Unfortunately, I materialized right next to Machi the Kikwi, and he started freaking out. "Ahh! Please don't hurt me, kwee!" he shouted. I had to calm Machi down for a second before he realized it was me. When he did, he gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's you, koo-weep. I haven't seen you in a few days. Did you and that other animal find your friend, kwee-koo?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, we did. I'm really sorry, Machi, but I have to be going right now. I promise that I'll be back later," I said. Machi gave a small smile. "Okay, then! I'll see you later! And next time, don't scare me like that, koo-weep!" he said.

I nodded, and said goodbye to Machi. Then, I raised my ocarina to my lips, and played the Bolero of Fire. This time, a red light obscured my vision, and I felt the same weightlessness as before. When it cleared, I was standing outside the Earth Temple. "Well, this is just pure awesomeness," I said. I've always wanted to be able to teleport like this ever since I played Ocarina of Time as a kid. And now, I could, even if it was only to specific places. I smiled, and raised my ocarina to my lips again.

I played the Serenade of Water next, but nothing happened. My guess was that it would take me to Lake Floria or something, but it didn't work. _"Maybe I actually have to go there first," _I thought. I decided to try it again later, and played the Nocturne of Shadow next. I didn't really expect it to do anything, because there weren't really any places in Skyward Sword that seemed dark and shadowy. And, that's what happened: nothing.

I tried the Requiem of Spirit next, which was my personal favorite. As soon as I finished the song, I saw an amber light obscure my vision. Once again, I felt weightless for a brief moment. When the light cleared, I was standing back in the Temple of Time, exactly where I was before I'd left. "Okay, then. I'm back here, which means that the Minuet of Forest takes me anywhere I want in Faron Woods, the Bolero of Fire takes me anywhere I want in Eldin Volcano, the Requiem of Spirit takes me anywhere I want in Lanayru Desert," I said, counting songs off on my fingers as I went.

I kept going, and pointed to the sky. "The Song of Storms and the Sun's Song do what you'd expect, and if I'm right…" I started. I trailed off, and raised my ocarina to my lips again. Right now, I needed a way to talk with Jack. And, there was one song I could think of that could do that. I blew into my ocarina, and played Saria's Song, another favorite of mine.

As soon as I finished the song, I thought about Jack, and made a message in my head. _"Then Saria's Song should let me communicate with you in your head, Jack," _I thought. After a second, I heard a voice respond to me; as I'd hoped, it was Jack. _"No freaking way. He can speak to me in my head?" _he asked. I held back a laugh, and explained Saria's Song to Jack. _"Yes, Jack. In Ocarina of Time, Saria's Song lets Link speak to Saria, his friend, telepathically. So, I figured that it would let me do the same to you, and I was right," _I thought.

Jack responded after a few seconds, and I don't think he completely grasped the concept of telepathy. I could tell he was thinking to himself, even though I could still hear him. _"I can't believe it. I can finally tell Samuel the song he needs. It almost seems unfair, how easy it actually is," _he thought. I chuckled, and responded back. _"Well, after all of the bullcrap that you've been going through, you deserve a break, Jack. So, tell me. What's the song I need to free you? Is it a song I already know, or is it a new one that I don't know?" _I asked.

Jack responded after a few seconds. _"You need to play the Song of Healing to set me free," _he said. After Jack said that, I facepalmed. _"Wow, I'm stupid. I should have seen that before,"_ I thought. I paused for a second, and continued. _"Well, anyway, now that we have everything we need to set you free, all we really can do is wait,"_ I said. Jack immediately responded back, and he sounded crushed.

"_Why do we have to wait? Why not do it now?" _he asked. I thought for a second, and responded. _"Well, my guess is that we'll have to wait for your body to actually be near me before I play the Song of Healing. Whenever I see your dark side again, Jack, I promise I'll play the Song of Healing as fast as I can._ _If we're lucky, then your dark side will show up at the Ancient Cistern with Ghirahim, and I'll play the song there. And if he isn't there, then there's always the Fire Sanctuary, where Link and I will have to fight Ghirahim again," _I said.

Jack was silent for a second, and eventually thought back. _"Well, if all I can do is wait, then I guess I have nothing else to do until then. You can speak to me with your ocarina any time you want, right?" _he asked. I nodded. _"Yeah, I can speak to you any time I want. So, I guess that this is goodbye, unless you have something else to say," _ I replied. Jack's voice responded after a few moments. _"No, I don't really have anything else to say right now. Maybe we can talk later?" _he asked.

I nodded again. _"Yeah, we'll definitely talk later. Until then, I guess this is goodbye," _I replied. Jack's voice responded, saying a goodbye. _"Bye, Samuel," _he thought. Then, Jack's voice disappeared from my head. I put my ocarina back, and turned back to Link. "Well, now that we've pretty much got everything we need, let's head back to Skyloft," I said. Link nodded, and asked me a question. "Okay, then. You'll tell me everything when we get back, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course I will, Link," I replied. I decided to say another goodbye to Jack before I left, and turned to where Jack seemed to be before. "Bye, Jack," I said. Link copied me, and said goodbye as well. "Goodbye, Jack," he said. After our final goodbyes, Link and I walked over to a nearby Bird Statue. We took out our Sailcloths, bowed our heads, and prayed.

After a few moments, a huge wind blew underneath us. We were blown into the air, and eventually passed the cloud barrier. We whistled for our Loftwings, and they caught us after a few seconds. We started back towards Skyloft, leaving me to piece together the events of today in my head, and wonder what would happen when Link and I got back.

**Before you guys ask, the answer is yes; Jack actually knows that he needs the Song of Healing to set himself free. "But, sslamajama97, wasn't Jack confused by the scroll that Impa gave him? I thought he had no idea what the notes were," you might be asking yourself. And, you're absolutely right; Jack didn't know what the notes were, or what the song was, when we last saw him.**

**However, the next chapter will be in his POV, and it will provide an answer to that question. Plus, it'll also contain these events from his perspective. Yeah, I know, more repeated chapters from different POV's. Sorry about that. ):**

**Well, anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Remember to leave a review on the way out if you can! I'll see all of you guys next chapter! Bye! :D**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Twenty-Nine! This chapter will be in Jack's POV, and it will continue where he left off. If you remember last chapter, Jack actually knew he needed the Song of Healing to free himself. However, if you remember the last chapter from his POV, then you'll remember that he was stuck trying to find out what the song was. So, how did he find out he needed the Song of Healing? This chapter will answer that question, and cover the Temple of Time from his perspective. The next chapter will be back in Samuel's POV, and will pick up right after this one. As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter 29: Where in Din's Name Did He Get That?**

(Jack's POV)

I gave up after what felt like hours of staring at those stupid yellow circles. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I looked and thought about it, I just couldn't figure out what the song Impa left me was. I couldn't read the song's title, and I couldn't read the music she gave me, either. I was completely stuck. In a last-ditch effort, I looked at the circles one last time. _"Left, right, down, left, right, down. That's it. That's all I know. What could it mean?" _I thought. I eventually became fed up, and threw the scroll behind me. I laid down on my back, and decided it was hopeless. _"Yep. I'm screwed," _I thought. I continued lying on my back, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

When I regained consciousness, I saw Samuel and myself sitting in his basement. _"Hey, I remember this day," _I thought_. _Samuel had his Wii turned on, and he was playing that older Zelda game I mentioned before, the one with an ocarina in it. Samuel had already beaten it plenty of times, so he made another attempt to try and get me interested in Zelda. Samuel had tried to get me interested in Zelda many times before, but I never really got why it was as popular as it was. I mean, before, I thought that all the games were basically an elf in a green hat running around killing stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love games where you kill stuff, but I prefer using a gun instead of a sword.

"_Wow, things have changed a lot. If I actually get out of this mess alive, then I swear to the Goddesses that I'll dust my own Wii off and try out one of the games,"_ I thought. Anyway, I knew I was getting off track, so I shook those thoughts out of my head, and concentrated on my dream. Samuel had just entered some kind of tower, and Link, I noticed, looked completely different. I wasn't really paying attention at the time, but I at least knew that much.

Anyway, Samuel made Link walk up towards a set of double doors. However, just as Link was about to walk through them, a voice stopped him. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" it asked. The camera panned behind Link, and I saw a weird-looking person standing behind him. He had red hair, pointy ears, and he was carrying a huge burlap sack with masks all around it. He had the creepiest smile I could imagine.

"Who is that?" I saw myself ask. Samuel turned to me. "It's the Happy Mask Salesman. He helps you out," he replied. I scoffed at his answer. "The Happy Mask Salesman? He looks like a freaking pedophile," I said. Samuel gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, he's pretty weird, but I wouldn't go as far as to call him a pedophile, Jack," he said. I leaned back on the couch. "Yeah, whatever," I said.

Anyway, Samuel played the game for about a half hour, and I was quickly getting bored of watching him. I spoke up after Samuel entered what looked like a clock tower. "Let's go outside and shoot basketball," I said. Samuel turned back to me. "I would, but I can't save until a certain part of the story. I'm almost there, anyway. After that, I promise we'll go outside," he said. Once again, I scoffed. "So, there's no guns, no multiplayer, _and_ you have to wait until a certain part of the story to save? Some game. Besides, the graphics are terrible," I said.

Samuel got pissed at me. "You know, just because a game doesn't have amazing graphics, guns, or multiplayer in it doesn't mean that it's bad. Besides, this game came out before online gaming really caught on, when people didn't care about any of that stuff. They actually concentrated on the gameplay and the story," he said.

I sat back, and watched Samuel play some more. "Whatever. You said you were close to saving?" I asked. Samuel nodded. "Yeah, I just need to get the Ocarina of Time back, and then we'll leave," he replied. I looked at where Samuel was in the game. There was a weird imp thing wearing a heart-shaped mask in the middle of the screen, and it just uttered a huge scream. A pink and yellow vortex swirled around the screen, and the music suddenly picked up. The screen panned over to Link, and a timer started ticking away from five minutes.

I saw Samuel hold in a button, and Link blew up a huge snot bubble. He shot it at the weird imp, and the blue ocarina it was holding was knocked out of its hands. It clattered to the ground, and Samuel made Link rush forward to get it. As soon as Link touched the ocarina, a text box appeared_. "You got the Ocarina of Time back! Princess Zelda gave you this precious instrument. Set it to C and use A and the four C buttons to play it. Press B to stop,"_ it said.

I stood up from the couch. "Okay, can you save now?" I asked. Samuel shook his head. "No, not yet. There's a cutscene that has to play first," he replied. I threw myself back on the couch. "Come on!" I shouted. Samuel chuckled. "Getting pissed off, Jack?" he asked. I stood back up, and walked over to him. "Say that again. I dare you," I said, raising my voice as I said it.

Samuel smiled. "Okay, Jack, calm down. Just let me save," he said. Samuel turned back to the TV, and I did as well. The cutscene ended, and Link was back where he was before. Samuel took out the ocarina, which was now a set of pipes, for some reason. He played a song on it: right, A, down, right, A, down. As soon as he did, a text box appeared, asking him to save. "There! Now save so we can finally go outside!" I shouted.

Samuel saved, and was taken back to the Dawn of the First Day. I stood up to leave, but Samuel stopped me just as I was about to walk out of the basement. "Wait, Jack. There's one more thing I need to do," he said. I was ready to completely flip out. "No, there's nothing you need to do! It's a perfectly nice day outside, and I can't believe I'm wasting my time inside watching you play a video game that's not even good!" I shouted.

Samuel looked hurt. "Fine, Jack. I promise we'll do whatever you want for the rest of the day if you let me do this last cutscene. I won't even save again; I just want to see it one time," he said. I stood there, and calmed down. I walked back to Samuel's couch, and sat back down. "Okay, but as soon as it's done, we're going outside," I said. Samuel nodded, and turned back to the game again.

Link had just walked back through the double doors to where the Happy Mask Salesman was. Link walked up to the Salesman, and the Salesman asked Link if he had gotten his precious item back. Samuel spammed the A button so it would skip through the text, and The Happy Mask Salesman eventually pulled out a huge piano from out of nowhere. _"Where in Din's name did he get that?" _I thought. However, the Happy Mask Salesman spoke up to Link, interrupting my thoughts.

"Listen to me. Please play this song that I am about to perform, and remember it well…" he said. He played six notes on the piano, and I felt my heart stop. Samuel copied the song, and tilted the C-Stick. "Left, right, down, left, right, down," he said, matching his tilts along with his words.

Samuel turned to me. "The Song of Healing. It's supposed to heal troubled souls," he said. He turned back to the game, and I got a look at Link. He wasn't a…whatever he was before…anymore. Now, he was a normal child in the green clothing he always wore. Samuel bent over, shut off his Wii, and set his controller down. "Okay, Jack. Let's go outside," he said. I saw myself stand up from the couch. "Finally," I said. Samuel and I walked out of his basement, and I felt myself wake up.

As soon as I woke up, I stood up, and reached into my pockets. I pulled out Samuel's ocarina and the scroll Impa gave me. "I can't believe it. It was right in front of me the whole time," I said. I unraveled the scroll, and looked at the notes again. Sure enough, they were the exact same notes I had seen in my dream: left, right, down, left, right, down.

"_The Song of Healing. This is it. This is the song I need to set myself free,"_ I thought. I remembered what Impa had told me before; I would wait until Ghirahim and my dark side tried to kidnap Zelda at the Temple of Time, and play the Song of Healing. That would break me free for a little while, and in that time I would need to get the ocarina to Samuel. As soon as he has it, I'll tell him to play the Song of Healing, and I'll be free for good.

I went over the plan in my head again, and I became overwhelmed with joy. After I broke my evil side's hold on me, things would definitely change for the better. Sure, I still wouldn't be able to get home until Samuel found the Triforce, but I could help out him and Link in the meantime.

I put the scroll back in my pocket, seeing as I wouldn't need it anymore. Then, I held Samuel's ocarina up to my lips, and blew into it without covering any of the holes. A very, very high note came out of it, piercing the silence around me. I stopped blowing, and the sound disappeared. I waited for a second, and covered all of the holes on the ocarina. I blew into it again, and got a much lower note than before.

I tried to remember the fingering positions that Samuel taught me before, and played random notes until I found the ones I needed to play the Song of Healing. I eventually got the positions down, and played half of the song, just to make sure it was right. When I knew I had the song down, I felt a sense of comfort. I had everything I needed. _"It's nothing but a waiting game now, Jack,"_ I thought.

I sat back down on the ground, and waited to see if something would happen. After a while, I stood back up, and decided to practice my swordplay for a while. I snapped my fingers, and my sword appeared in my hands. After practicing for a while, I sat back down, and laid my sword beside me. I took Samuel's ocarina back out of my pocket, and played it until I got bored.

Eventually, I put Samuel's ocarina back in my pocket, and laid down again. I knew there wasn't anything else I could do, so I decided to go to sleep again. I laid down on my back, and started to drift off into unconsciousness. However, just as I was about to completely fall asleep, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

I immediately stood back up, and looked at what was in front of me: a huge screen. It pictured an open space that looked like a courtyard. I could see a huge crest with a Triforce on top of it, and what looked like a Loftwing on the bottom. Below the crest was some weird thing that I couldn't exactly describe. If I had to describe it, I would say it was a huge gear with two smaller gears turning it. Plus, it had the symbols of the three Goddesses on it, and a Triforce in the middle. More weird symbols went all around the huge gear, which made it look even more mysterious.

The screen panned down to below the gear, and I saw Zelda and Impa standing in front of it. Zelda was playing her weird instrument, and she was singing as well. I recognized the song she was playing; it was the same song she played back at the Earth Temple. _"That must be the Ballad of the Goddess that Impa mentioned. I guess it makes sense that it would be called that," _I thought.

Zelda suddenly stopped playing her instrument, and turned around. She gave a huge smile, and called out to two people I couldn't see. "Link! Samuel!" she said. She started running towards them, and I gasped. _"Wait a minute. Link and Samuel?" _I thought. The screen panned over to them, and everything suddenly clicked in my mind.

"_This must the Temple of Time! That's why that huge gear is there! But, wait a minute. If this is the Temple of Time, then that should mean that-" _I thought. However, my thoughts were interrupted by a huge explosion. Tons of rocks were blasted in random directions, and the sky darkened. I heard an evil laughter, and I saw two figures jump out of the smoke caused by the explosion. One was Ghirahim, and the other was my evil side.

"_Crap!"_ I thought. I took Samuel's ocarina out of my pocket, and was getting ready to play it when I suddenly stopped. _"Wait a minute. I can't just play the song right now, or Ghirahim might notice that I'm free. I'm going to have to wait for the perfect chance," _I thought_._ I watched as Ghirahim swept his sword upward, and a huge wall of diamond-covered flames sprang up in front of Link and Samuel, blocking them from helping out.

Ghirahim turned back to Impa and Zelda, and my evil side made his sword appear. After a millisecond of staring, both of them rushed forward, charging at Zelda and Impa. Impa rushed forward to stop them, and Zelda gave a scream of shock. "Impa!" she shouted.

As soon as Ghirahim and my evil side were about to come into contact with Impa, she held out her hand, as if telling them to stop. Instantaneously, some kind of blue force field appeared, stopping them from advancing. Both of their swords clashed against the field, and Impa turned back to Zelda. "Your Grace! Quickly, to the gate!" she shouted.

"_That's it. It's now or never," _I thought. I put Samuel's ocarina to my lips, and played the Song of Healing exactly as I'd practiced. As soon as the song was over, I felt a familiar pain in my head. However, this time was more painful than anything I'd ever experienced before. The pain was so great, it felt like my head was literally being cut in two by a huge axe. I screamed, sank to my knees, and felt myself fly forward at the speed of light.

I was suddenly standing upright, and I felt my arms swinging my sword at Impa. However, her force field blocked my strike. I stopped for a millisecond, and thought about what I should do. Even though I knew my first priority was to get to Samuel, I also knew I had to keep up the act, or Ghirahim would notice something was wrong. So, I continued slashing at Impa's force field against my will. In-between sword slashes, I looked into Impa's eyes, and gave a small wink. If she noticed that I was free, then she sure as Din didn't show it. She went on blocking our attacks, and I continued slashing with all of my might. Luckily, Ghirahim didn't notice I was free yet; he was probably too busy concentrating on getting through Impa's blockade.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zelda run off to the side of the Temple. She held up her instrument, and called out to Link. "Link, here! You'll need this where you're going!" she shouted. I saw Zelda's instrument fly across the Temple, and land in Link's hands. Link looked at the instrument for a brief second before putting it in his pouch.

I saw the flame wall near Link and Samuel start to die down, and I turned back to Impa. "Go! Now!" she shouted. She was probably talking to Zelda, although her message could have been meant for me as well. I decided that now was the time to try and get away from Ghirahim, so I shouted to him. "Master! They're escaping! Should I-"

"Yes! Stop them at all costs, and I'll handle the servant by myself!" Ghirahim replied, interrupting my question. I couldn't believe my luck. "Yes, Master Ghirahim," I replied. I turned away from him and sprinted across the Temple, heading towards Link and Samuel. They jumped over the practically-gone fire wall, and charged at me with their swords raised in the air.

I don't think that either of them noticed I was free, because they weren't slowing down as we got closer to each other. I noticed that Samuel had a look of pure murder on his face, and Link didn't look like he would be holding back, either. I couldn't risk Ghirahim noticing me, so I charged toward them, ready to drop the charade as soon as I could.

When I was within striking distance, Samuel swung his sword at me, but I managed to block it. Link tried to swing at me from the side, but I blocked his blade as well. Both of them tried to stab at me at the same time, so I jumped back from their attacks, and looked back at Ghirahim. He was still slashing at Impa, and it looked like her force field was weakening. I decided that now was the time to stop acting like I was still possessed, and I felt inside my pocket. Samuel's ocarina was inside it, as well as the scroll.

"_Well, that's convenient," _I thought.I snapped my fingers, and made my sword vanish. Then, I quickly pulled out Samuel's ocarina. "Samuel, quick! It's dangerous! Take this before Ghirahim notices!" I shouted. I threw the ocarina at Samuel, and he caught it. He looked surprised, confused, shocked, and angry at the same time. He took a closer look at me, and finally realized what I was doing.

"Jack? How in the hell are you free? I thought that we need-" he said. However, Samuel finally realized what he needed to do. He put two and two together, and held up his ocarina. "Is this it? Is this what we need to set you free? My ocarina?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. That's it," I replied. Samuel looked at his ocarina, and then back to me. "How did you get this?" he asked.

I shook my head. "You don't want to know," I replied, remembering the Silent Realm of our neighborhood. Samuel held the ocarina up to his mouth, ready to play it. "Well, I'm guessing I have to play a song on this to set you free, so what is it?" he asked. I smiled. "It's the Song of-" I said. However, I suddenly felt a huge pain in my head, and stopped speaking. _"No! Are you kidding? Not right now, please!" _I thought. I sank to my knees, and held my head, trying to stop the pain from increasing.

But, the pain just kept getting worse and worse. I knew it was hopeless to try and talk to Samuel, because I could already feel my strength starting to leave me. Just as I was about to completely give up hope, I suddenly remembered something. _"The scroll!"_ I thought. With the last of my strength, I reached back into my pocket, and pulled it out. I held it up to Samuel, and he tried to take it from me.

However, just as Samuel was about to take the scroll from me, I felt the last of my strength leave me. But, I didn't black out. Instead, I felt myself leave my body, and I became an invisible spirit again. My dark side was back in control, and he didn't waste any time. As soon as he regained control, he turned away from Samuel, and threw the scroll into the abyss.

"_No!" _I thought. I saw Samuel try to summon the scroll using magic, but it didn't work. The scroll fell deeper and deeper into the abyss, eventually falling out of sight._ "No! This isn't happening! There's no freaking way!"_ I thought. I turned back to Samuel, Link, and my evil side. Samuel still had his ocarina in his hands, so I called out to him, completely desperate. "Samuel! You need to play the Song of Healing! Play it now!" I shouted.

I knew Samuel couldn't hear me, because he didn't play the Song of Healing. Instead, he put his ocarina away, and pulled out his sword. He didn't waste time talking, and charged at my evil side. My evil side smiled, and made his sword appear just in time to block Samuel. When Samuel got blocked, he tried to attack again, and was blocked again.

I stood there, watching the fight, when a thought occurred to me. _"Wait a minute. Maybe I can regain control for a second if my evil side doesn't see me coming. Maybe I can sneak in when he's not looking, and tell Samuel that he needs to play the Song of Healing," _I thought. I decided to give it a try, and waited for my chance.

Samuel slashed at my evil side again, and so did Link. However, my evil side blocked both of their swords, and did a Spin Attack. Samuel and Link were thrown backward, and my evil side started to gloat. "And to think that you two are Hylia's chosen heroes," he said. He laughed at them, and I saw my chance.

I charged at my evil side as fast as I could, and Samuel and Link got back up. Samuel ran forward, and continued slashing at him. _"Perfect. He'll never see me coming. He's too distracted by Samuel," _I thought. I was only ten feet away from him now, and I was gaining on him fast. Samuel slashed at my evil side again, and he blocked his blade again. I ran right at him, about to enter my body.

Just as I was about to come into contact with my evil side, he held out his hand behind him, and I felt myself freeze. He turned his head around, and smiled. "Nice try," he said. He flicked his hand upward, and I flew high up in the air. I landed right next to Samuel and Link, and got back up. As soon as I was on my feet, I heard a huge crash, and looked at what happened. Ghirahim had finally gotten through Impa's force field, and it shattered like broken glass. Impa was thrown backward, and landed on the ground in front of Ghirahim.

Ghirahim looked straight at Zelda, and started moving towards her. "No!" Link shouted. He ran forward, and managed to get past my evil side. Then, he charged at Ghirahim as fast as he could. "Get away from her, you bastard!" he shouted. Link did a huge jump, and brought his sword down at Ghirahim in a Jump Attack. Ghirahim was forced to dodge Link's attack, and did a giant backflip over all of our heads.

My evil side snapped his fingers, and vanished. He reappeared a second later, right next to Ghirahim. I could hear a conversation between Link and Impa going on, so I turned around. Impa had gotten up, and was standing inside the weird gear with Zelda. She had an energy ball in her hands, which looked pretty much identical to the ones that I could make, except hers was lighter than mine. "Link! You and Samuel must go now. Return to the old woman at the Sealed Grounds. Tell her what happened here. She will know where you must go! And know that we will-" she said.

"I'll see you again! This isn't good-bye, Link! I promise! And you too, Samuel! I'll see you both again, I promise!" Zelda shouted, interrupting Impa. Impa suddenly dragged Zelda into the gear, and it shut closed. Her energy ball dropped to the ground, and there was a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, the gear was completely gone.

I turned back to Ghirahim and my evil side. Ghirahim looked completely pissed. "Now you three have done it. I blame myself. I should have reprimanded _you_ the last time we met, but instead I was…soft," he said, pointing to Link. He turned to Samuel. "I should have killed _you_ when I first met you, Samuel. But of course, that blithering servant of Hylia had to mess up my plans, and snatch you from my clutches," he said.

Ghirahim then turned to me. Apparently, he could see me, because he spoke to me. "And of course, let's not forget about _you_, my little servant. I should have noticed that you managed to free yourself before, but it doesn't matter. Right now, no one but me and him," he said, pointing to my evil side, "can hear or see you. And to think that you were so close to freedom as well," he finished.

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb. However, Samuel spoke up to Ghirahim. "Who are you talking to? Me? Or…" he said. He gasped. "Jack? Where are you?" he shouted. My evil side laughed, and turned to Ghirahim. "Go ahead and leave, Master. I think I can handle them from here," he said. Ghirahim turned back to us, and gave his parting words. "I'd take pleasure in punishing you three right now, but I have no time for recreation. But next time, I'll do more than just beat you senseless. I'll make the affair so excruciating, you'll deafen yourselves with the shrill sound of your own screams," he said. Ghirahim waved his sword in a circle, and disappeared. _"Man, somebody's got a temper," _I thought.

Once Ghirahim was gone, my evil side turned back to Samuel, and responded to him. "Your friend is standing right next to you, Samuel. But like my master said before, only he and I can see and hear him. And to answer _your _question, Jack," he said, turning to me. "Don't play dumb with me. I shouldn't have been so naïve and careless. I honestly thought I had that ocarina locked up in the Silent Realm I made, but you obviously found a way to get into it and retrieve it," he said.

"A Silent Realm? There's more of them?" I heard Samuel whisper. But, my evil side didn't hear him, and went on. "However, it doesn't even matter that Samuel has his ocarina back. Because, as you know, there's one crucial piece to the puzzle that's missing. And the worst part, Jack, is that even if you _do_ manage to tell Samuel the song he needs…" he said. His voice trailed off, and I stared at him. "What? If I tell Samuel the song he needs, then what?" I asked.

My evil side smiled at me again. "Actually, I'll keep that a secret for now. I will tell you this, though: you won't be getting rid of me as easily as you think you will. And that goes for all of you," he said, turning to everyone. "You won't be getting rid of me that easily. My master has a few tricks up his sleeve to make sure of that. Anyway, I think that's enough for now," he said.

My evil side took one last look at the three of us, and said goodbye. "Goodbye, Samuel, Link, and Jack. Until we meet again," he said. My evil side snapped his fingers, and disappeared. As soon as he was gone, Samuel shouted all around him. "Jack! Can you hear me?" he shouted. I knew it was no use, but I answered him anyway. "Yeah, Samuel. I can hear you," I mumbled.

Link walked back up to Samuel, and tried to calm him down. "Samuel, it's no use. Jack might be standing here, but we can't see or hear him right now. Maybe we should just head back to Skyloft," he said. However, Samuel wasn't going to take no for an answer; he looked completely offended. "No way, Link! If you were as close to freeing Zelda as I am to freeing Jack, would _you_ want to leave him behind?" he asked.

Link remained silent, and Samuel scoffed. "I didn't think so," Samuel said. He pulled out his ocarina, and Link looked at it with a confused expression. "Okay, first thing's first. What is that?" he asked. Samuel looked like he was going to burst out laughing, but he kept it in, and answered Link's question. "This is an ocarina, Link. It's just a musical instrument, like the Goddess Harp that Zelda gave you. I can play music on it, and if I'm right…" he said, trailing off.

Samuel raised his ocarina to his lips, and closed his eyes. Then, he played a quick tune. As soon as Samuel finished his song, there was a huge clap of thunder. The sky was covered with dark storm clouds, and it started pouring down rain. The rain passed right through me, because I was just a spirit. But, Samuel and Link started getting wet. "Ahh! Samuel, what did you do?" Link shouted.

Samuel smiled. "Don't worry, Link," he said. He played another song, and it stopped raining. The clouds disappeared, and the sun came back out. "I am right. I can play songs on my ocarina to do stuff, like make it rain, or teleport. Speaking of which, I'll be right back," he said. He played another song, and vanished in a green flash of light.

Now, Link and I were completely alone. He stood there for a second, and eventually spoke up. "I know you can't talk back to me, but I'm sorry if it seemed like I wanted to ditch you a moment ago. I'm just so stressed about this whole mess with Zelda. So far, it always seems that when I finally get close to her, she gets snatched away, or something else happens. I just want things to go back to the way it used to be, which was—wow, it was only about three or four days ago," he said.

I smiled. "You think it hasn't been rough for me either? Trust me, it's no picnic getting possessed over and over," I said, even though I knew Link couldn't hear me. I turned away from him, and thought about the situation. _"Well, I at least did part of what Impa asked me to do. Samuel has his ocarina, but now I have to find a way to tell him he needs the Song of Healing. And, what did my dark side mean when he said that Ghirahim had a few tricks up his sleeve? I guess I'll find that out later, but for now I definitely need to find a way to talk with Samuel," _I thought.

Just after I thought that, I saw an amber flash of light, and Samuel appeared. He had his ocarina in his hands. "Okay, then. I'm back here, which means that," he said. He started ticking off songs on his fingers. "The Minuet of Forest takes me anywhere I want in Faron Woods, the Bolero of Fire takes me anywhere I want in Eldin Volcano, the Requiem of Spirit takes me anywhere I want in Lanayru Desert," he said.

He pointed to the sky. "The Song of Storms and the Sun's Song do what you'd expect, and if I'm right…" he said, trailing off. Samuel put his ocarina to his lips again, and played another song. It was upbeat, and reminded me of a forest. As soon as Samuel finished his song, I heard a voice in my head. _"Then Saria's Song should let me communicate with you in your head, Jack," _it said.

I was taken aback. The voice I'd just heard belonged to Samuel. _"No freaking way. He can speak to me in my head?" _I thought. Samuel's voice responded in my head. _"Yes, Jack. In Ocarina of Time, Saria's Song lets Link speak to Saria, his friend, telepathically. So, I figured that it would let me do the same to you, and I was right," _he said. I was in shock. "Well, that's just…it's just…" I said. I couldn't say anything else. There simply weren't any words that could describe how I felt right then and there. Now that Samuel and I could speak to each other, I could finally tell him that he needed the Song of Healing!

"_I can't believe it. I can finally tell Samuel the song he needs. It almost seems unfair, how easy it actually is," _I thought. Samuel laughed, and continued speaking in my head. _"Well, after all of the bullcrap that you've been going through, you deserve a break, Jack. So, tell me. What's the song I need to free you? Is it a song I already know, or is it a new one that I don't know?" _ he asked.

I knew that Samuel still couldn't see me, but I shook my head, even though his question wasn't a yes-or-no question. I was literally that excited. _"You need to play the Song of Healing to set me free," _I thought. That's all there was. No explosions. No interruptions of any kind. Just me thinking that wonderful, life-saving thought. After I thought that, Samuel facepalmed.

"_Wow, I'm stupid. I should have seen that before," _he said. However, he wasn't done. _"Well, anyway, now that we have everything we need to set you free, all we really can do is wait," _he said. I was confused by his thought. _"Why do we have to wait? Why not do it now?" _I thought. Samuel's voice responded in my head.

"_Well, my guess is that we'll have to wait for your body to actually be near me before I play the Song of Healing. Whenever I see your dark side again, Jack, I promise I'll play the Song of Healing as fast as I can._ _If we're lucky, then your dark half will show up at the Ancient Cistern with Ghirahim, and I'll play the song there. And if he isn't there, then there's always the Fire Sanctuary, where Link and I will have to fight Ghirahim again," _he said.

I nodded, and spoke to Samuel again. _"Well, if all I can do is wait, then I guess I have nothing else to do until then. You can speak to me with your ocarina any time you want, right?" _I thought. Samuel nodded. _"Yeah, I can speak to you any time I want. So, I guess that this is goodbye, unless you have something else to say," _he replied.

I shook my head. _"No, I don't really have anything else to say right now. Maybe we can talk later?" _I asked. Samuel nodded. _"Yeah, we'll definitely talk later. Until then, I guess this is goodbye," _he said. I nodded, and said goodbye. _"Bye, Samuel," _I thought. Samuel's voice disappeared from my head, and he turned back to Link.

"Well, now that we've pretty much got everything we need, let's head back to Skyloft," Samuel said. Link nodded. "Okay, then. You'll tell me everything when we get back, right?" he asked. Samuel nodded. "Of course I will, Link," he replied. Samuel turned to me again. "Bye, Jack," he said. Link turned in the direction Samuel was facing, and waved goodbye. "Goodbye, Jack," he said.

I waved goodbye to the both of them, and said another goodbye that they couldn't hear. "Goodbye, you guys," I said. After my goodbye, Samuel and Link walked over to a statue with a bird on it. I saw Samuel and Link take out white sailcloths, and bow their heads. Suddenly, a huge wind started blowing beneath them, and it caught on their sailcloths. They were blown upward from the draft, and eventually were lost from view.

As soon as they were gone, I walked over to where the huge gear used to be, and laid down on the ground in front of the rubble. I knew that if I fell asleep, I would probably wake up in my mind again. But, it wasn't really a big deal, because I knew Samuel would talk with me later. So, closed my eyes, and eventually gave in to the drowsiness of sleep.

**Well, what do you guys think? Did you enjoy this chapter? Did you like how Jack found out the Song of Healing? Leave a review on your way out, if you can. I appreciate constructed criticism, so if you've got anything to say about this story that you think can be improved on, say it. The next chapter will be back in Samuel's POV, and will continue from where he left off. Plus, it's the thirtieth chapter of this fic! Yay! I'll try and post that chapter on Friday, so I'll see you guys then! Bye! :D **


	30. Chapter 30

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Thirty! Hooray! :D Anyway, this chapter will basically cover Samuel and Link going back to Skyloft, and the events that happen while they're there. Now, before you dismiss this chapter as another filler chapter, I promise you that it's not. Interesting things will happen in this chapter (or, at least I think they're interesting.) Plus, there's a surprise in it to commemorate the thirtieth chapter of this fic! Yay!**

**Also, I have some bad-ish news, unfortunately. Don't worry, it's not anything too massive. It's just that my laptop charger decided to crap out on me last night, just as my laptop was about to die. Luckily, I already had this chapter in my Doc Manager, so I'm able to edit and publish it now from another computer. But, I'm not going to be able to publish any new chapters until I get a new charger, because I don't have anything else in my Doc Manager right now. And, I can't upload new chapters to it because my laptop's dead. I'm really sorry about that. :( Don't worry, I'm still about four or five chapters ahead of you guys, and I can still work on new chapters while I'm waiting for a new charger. The only thing that I can't do is publish anything new. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a new charger faster than I expect, and publish Chapter 31 soon.**

**Anyway, thanks to TheSunsetWolf, ToonLink, and EternalCacogen323 for reviewing last chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy this one! Bye! :D **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty: You're as Real as I Am**

(Samuel's POV)

As Link and I hurtled back towards Skyloft, I put the events of today into perspective. Just as I'd hoped and prayed for, I finally had a way to free Jack from possession. The only thing I needed to do now was wait for his evil side to show up. If I was lucky, then Ghirahim would actually be stupid enough to make Evil Jack follow him and create Koloktos. If that happened, then Jack would be free by the time we finished the Ancient Cistern.

And, even if Ghirahim wasn't that stupid (which he probably wasn't), then we would definitely see Evil Jack again during the second Ghirahim fight at the Fire Sanctuary. So, no matter what, Jack would get through this whole ordeal, which put a part of me to rest. _"After all, it's pretty much my fault he's in this mess. If I wasn't a chosen hero of Hylia, then Ghirahim would never have come to try and kidnap me, and Jack would never have met him," _I thought.

Link shouted to me, interrupting my thoughts. "Hey, Samuel! Do you want to head to the Lumpy Pumpkin again?" he asked. I thought for a second, and suddenly remembered all of the Goddess Cubes we'd collected so far. We hadn't gone out of our way to find every last one of them, but we had a small fortune of Rupees waiting for us, as well as some treasure. So, I shook my head. "Actually, we can fly around and look for the Goddess Cube Chests. There's a bunch of things we can collect, so it'll definitely be worth our time," I said.

Link obviously didn't want to go looking for the chests. "How much stuff is there to collect?" he asked. I thought for a second, remembering the Goddess Cubes we'd collected. "About 600 Rupees or so, and a bunch of other things like Pieces of Heart and special medals," I replied. Link's mouth fell open. He quickly closed it, and nodded. "Um, yeah. Let's go find those chests," he replied. I laughed.

I pulled out my map, and held it up against the wind. Luckily, all of the Goddess Cube Chests I'd activated so far were glowing on it, just like in the game. I looked at my map, and located the nearest one. Then, I shoved my map back into my pouch, and urged Zelda's Loftwing forward. Link followed me, and we started collecting the chests.

By the time Link and I were done collecting, I had an extra 300 Rupees in my wallet, and I reminded myself to collect another 300 for Link when we entered the Thunderhead later. Link and I had also collected two Pieces of Heart each, because the Goddess Cube Chests had surprisingly contained one for each of us. Plus, Link and I had each collected a Small Seed Satchel, and we each had a Heart Medal and a Treasure Medal waiting for us at the Item Check(Link told me that he had gotten the Goddess Cube containing the Treasure Medal when I went off to look for key pieces in Eldin.) Instead of the chests containing the medals that we were expecting, there were notes that told us to pick up our items there. _"Now, how do the people at the Item Check know that our pouches are full?" _I thought as I picked up the notes.

Anyway, after Link and I had found all of the chests, we decided to go off to the Lumpy Pumpkin for dinner. We landed on Pumpkin Landing, and walked inside the Lumpy Pumpkin again. This time, only a few people were inside. Link and I walked up to the bar, and we ordered two bowls of pumpkin soup each. We each pulled out 20 Rupees, and set them down on the bar. Pumm got us our soup, and we sat down at the same table as last time.

Link ate both of his bowls of soup in less than two minutes, and gave a huge burp afterward. "Excuse me," he muttered. I chuckled, and finished off the rest of my soup. When I did, I stacked all four bowls in the middle of the table, and Link spoke up. "Okay, Samuel. You promised that you would tell me everything at that temple, so I want to hear it right now," he said. I thought for a minute. "Okay, Link. And what, exactly, do you want to know?" I asked.

Link didn't miss a beat. "I want to know how you know everything that's going to happen. You've dodged the question for long enough, and I want an answer right now. Even if the answer is something I'm not expecting, I still want to hear it. I think I can handle the truth," he replied. After Link's response, I sat back in my chair, and thought about his question.

In my mind, I couldn't tell Link what the truth was, because I didn't know what the truth was myself. Sure, I could tell him about the Legend of Zelda games, but ever since I'd arrived here, I always had a question in my mind: If Ghirahim was supposedly just a video game character, then how could he have come to my house in the first place?

The only answer that I could come up with that made sense was that he couldn't; if Ghirahim wasn't real, then it just didn't make any sense for him to be able to come and kidnap me. So, my theory was that, because all of this stuff was really happening to me and Jack, the events of Skyward Sword and all of the other Zelda games must have actually happened at some point in history, which was actually really cool. Actually, I was pretty confident that what I was thinking of was true. If it was true, then it meant that Link _wasn't _just a video game character. It meant that he was a real person, just like me and Jack. It also meant that the Zelda games _weren't _just video games.

So, I turned to Link, and tried to answer his question as best as I could without confusing him. "Well, Link, I honestly don't know how to explain it. I have theories, but I don't know if they're true or not," I said. Link looked confused. "You have theories on how you know what's going to happen?" he asked. I facepalmed. _"Wow, I got completely off track there for a while; I wasn't thinking about Link's actual question," _I thought.

I turned to Link, and continued. "Okay, let me try this again. You already know that I'm not from here, right? You said it yourself in Skyview Temple," I said. Link nodded. "Yeah. Fi mentioned that you were from another realm when we got our swords, but I don't know exactly what she meant by that," he replied. I thought for a second. "Well, as I mentioned before, I don't exactly know what it means either. The best answer that I can come up with is pretty weird, and I don't even know if it's 100% true or not," I said.

"Well, what is it?" Link asked. I thought for a second. "You're not going to get freaked out over it?" I asked. Link shook his head. "I swear to Hylia that I won't," he replied. I took a deep breath, and continued. "Okay, then. Here goes. I think this "other realm" that I'm supposedly from is the future. I think that I've been sent back thousands of years into the past," I said. Link frowned, and thought for a second. He eventually gave a small nod.

"Okay, I guess I can believe that, because of all of this other crazy stuff that's been going on. But, that doesn't really explain how you know what's going to happen and where everything is. There has to be a specific reason for that. I don't think that most people in the future would even bother paying attention to things that happened thousands of years ago," he said. I sat back in my chair for a moment. _"Wow, he's basically _asking _me to ruin his life for him," _I thought.

I leaned my elbows on the table, and looked up at Link. _"You know what? Screw it. If Link wants to know that badly, then I'll tell him," _I thought. After my decision, I spoke up. "Okay, Link. I'm going to tell you something right now. Just remember that it was your curiosity that brought this on; you asked for it. Because, you're right. Most people in the future _don't _care about what happened here and now. They don't care about you or Zelda or Hylia or Skyloft; they don't even know that they exist. But, I, on the other hand, am one of the few people that do care," I said.

I paused for a second, and tried to introduce the concept of video games to Link by starting off with something that he could understand. "How do you entertain yourself, Link? Do you just read, go to school at the Academy, fight with swords, and fly around on your Loftwing?" I asked. Link thought for a second, and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much," he replied. I looked at Link, and continued. "Well, in the future, we have many different ways to entertain ourselves. Sure, we still read, and we still go to school, but there are way more things we can do, now that technology has advanced," I said. To aid my explanation, I pulled out my ocarina.

"This isn't the best example, but let's take music as an example. Sure, people still play musical instruments, but that's not all. For one, there are bunches and bunches of new musical instruments that have been created. And sometimes, we use special machines called computers to make music. And, that music doesn't sound half bad either, although I personally prefer actual instruments doing the work," I said.

I paused again, and Link spoke up. "So, what you're saying is that there are these special machines in the future that can make music. Can they do anything else?" he asked. I nodded. "They can do more than you can imagine, Link. Computers and technology have completely changed the way we live. Like, if we have a question or a problem, we can basically enter it into the computer, and find an answer right away. It's kind of like Fi, except everyone can use it, and it doesn't give answers in percentages," I said.

I paused for a second, and went on after Link remained silent. "And, that's just the beginning, Link. Computers can do way more things than just make music and answer questions," I said. I paused for another second, and exhaled. "We have these special computers called video game consoles, and we use them for entertainment as well. Basically, we buy special games, put them into the console, and play them as much as we want," I said.

Link nodded, but he still looked unsatisfied. "Okay, Samuel. This is nice and all, learning about the things you can do in the future, but you still haven't answered my question. Don't get me wrong, it's nice learning what the future is like, but I'm still waiting for a specific answer, and you're not giving it," he said. I took another deep breath, and continued. "Well, I was just about to get to that. The reason that I know where everything is and what's going to happen is because there's a series of video games that I play called The Legend of Zelda series," I said.

Link looked confused. "The Legend of Zelda? As in, my friend Zelda?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, Link. Your friend Zelda. They named the games after her, but what's funny about it is that _you're_ the main character in those games, Link," I replied. Link had a look of complete shock on his face. He immediately assumed the worst. "So, what you're telling me is that Zelda, Ghirahim, me, and everyone else are just characters in a fictional game? You're telling me that we're not real?" he asked.

I shook my head, and tried to calm Link down. "No, Link. At first, that's what I thought as well, but now I'm pretty sure that it isn't the case. Because if you're not real, then how could I even be here? How could Ghirahim travel into my world and capture Jack and me if he isn't real? So, I know for a fact that what you're thinking isn't true, Link. You're as real as I am, and so is everything else that's happening," I replied.

Link looked relieved at my words, and spoke back up. "So, let me recap all of this. There are these special games that people in the future play, and I'm apparently the main character in them. How many are there?" he asked. "About sixteen," I answered. Link eyes opened wide, and he gasped. "_What?_ I have to go on sixteen adventures to save Zelda?" he asked in disbelief. I thought about Link's question for a moment.

Even though Link knew about the Legend of Zelda series now, it wasn't an excuse to spoil his destiny. No matter what happened, I knew that I still couldn't tell Link about Demise's curse. I didn't want to tell him the effects that his journey would cause; if I did, I would bet all of the Rupees in the world that Link would try and stop it from happening. Knowing him, he probably couldn't bear it if he knew his actions would curse his descendants for all eternity.

So, I made up a quick half-lie, and told it. "No, Link. Don't be silly. The other "Links" in those games aren't really you. They're just other famous heroes throughout history that were nicknamed "Link" after they accomplished their deeds, as a tribute you the Goddess's Chosen Hero, which is you. Those people have no connection to you in any way whatsoever," I said.

Link seemed to buy my lie, so I went on. "And, that brings us back to how I know everything that's going to happen. I know everything that's going to happen because I've played the Zelda game that matches up with the journey we're on multiple times. I've played it so much that I've pretty much memorized where everything is, and what's going to happen," I added.

Link looked down at my ocarina, which was sitting on the table. "So, I'm guessing that one of the heroes in the future played an ocarina, which is why you carry one?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, Link. That's right," I answered. Once again, I refrained from telling Link anything that he didn't need to know. Luckily, he looked like he was finally satisfied.

Link looked away from me for a second. Then, he looked back, and gave a small sigh. "Well, you certainly answered my question, that's for sure. You gave me an answer worthy of Fi herself," he said. I laughed, and stood up. I picked up the bowls in the middle of the table, and decided to leave Link alone for a minute to reflect. "I'll be right back, Link. I'm just going to return these bowls," I said. Link nodded, and I went off to the bar.

(Link's POV) (Surprise!)

As Samuel walked away from me to return our bowls of soup, I sat in my chair, and collected my thoughts. _"Well, Link, you finally got the answer you were looking for. Plus an additional hundred pounds of information," _I thought. I went over everything that Samuel had told me in the past five minutes or so. I enjoyed his explanation of what the future was like, and I also enjoyed that he had finally answered my question. But, deep down, I had a feeling that he was still hiding something important from me.

I continued thinking, and remembered the battle with Scaldera, which was only yesterday. I thought back to the argument I had gotten into with Jack, the one where he had called me an elf, whatever that meant. Samuel and Jack were obviously hell-bent on keeping a certain piece of information secret from me, and it apparently had something to do with Hylia.

Why was it so important that I didn't know the secret? For that matter, what _was_ the secret? If it had to do with Hylia, then shouldn't I have the right to know it? After all, I was one of her chosen heroes, along with Samuel. What didn't make sense to me was that Jack knew the secret as well, and he was a servant of Ghirahim. "_Maybe Jack knows the secret because he's played those games that were named after Zelda as well. That's a good explanation," _I thought.

As soon as I thought Zelda's name, I gave a small sigh. "Zelda…" I said. She didn't deserve to be in this mess at all. She deserved better, and it was my fault. I thought back to the day of the Wing Ceremony; if I had just been able to save her from that damned tornado, then none of this would have happened. _"But, that's okay. Because now, at least Samuel and I get to kick the crap out of Ghirahim for causing all of this," _I thought.

I thought about Zelda some more, and Samuel eventually walked back up the stairs. He sat back down at our table, and spoke up. "Okay, Link. Is there anything else you want to know?" he asked. I thought about his question. I didn't want to tip off that I was trying to find out important information from him, but I couldn't think of any other way to do it other than asking him directly.

I knew that Samuel probably wouldn't give me a straight answer if I asked him to tell me what he and Jack were arguing about, but I decided to try it anyway. I nodded. "Actually, yeah. There are a couple of things I still want to know. What were you and Jack fighting about when we were battling Scaldera? It had something to do with Hylia, right?" I asked.

Samuel looked nervous at my question. He held his head in his hands for a moment, and looked down at the table, thinking. After a moment, he picked his head back up, and responded. "I'm going to tell you exactly what I told you before: you don't need to know that answer yet, Link. I promise that you'll find it out later, but for now, just keep it in the back of your mind. It's not even that important anyway," he replied. I immediately knew he was lying to me. _"Well, if it's not that important, then why are you so determined to keep it secret from me? If might even help us save Zelda faster!" _I thought.

I knew that Samuel wasn't going to be budging any time soon, so I dropped the subject. I looked at his ocarina again. Apparently, another hero in the future had used one to help save the world. That was fine, but I was still slightly confused. "Okay, Samuel. Can you tell me what all of those songs you mentioned at the temple do? You mentioned about five of them at once, and I'm kind of confused about them," I said.

Samuel smiled, and nodded. Apparently, he was relieved that we were talking about something other than Hylia. "Yeah, I'll tell you," he replied. He picked up his ocarina, and held it in his hands. "So, you remember how I played my ocarina, and it suddenly started raining?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, that happened because I played a song called the Song of Storms. And, as you saw, it makes it rain, no matter where it is or what the weather's like; it even works inside. It's kind of useless, but it's fun to use nonetheless," he said.

Samuel continued explaining his songs to me. "The song I played to make it stop raining is the Sun's Song. In Ocarina of Time—one of the other Zelda games—it's actually supposed to change whether it's night or day. I didn't really know what else I could play to make it stop raining, so I tried it, and it worked," he said. Samuel paused for a second, and continued.

"There was also a song I played called Saria's Song. Did you see me stop speaking for around a minute?" he asked. I nodded, and he continued. "Well, that's because playing Saria's Song lets me speak to people in their minds," he said. He played a quick tune on his ocarina, and closed his eyes. After he did that, I suddenly heard a voice speak in my head. _"As you know, Jack was in the Temple of Time with us, even if we couldn't see him. I had to find out the song I needed to play to set him free, and Saria's Song was the first thing I thought of that would work. This song's a little more useful than the other two," _it said.

Samuel opened his eyes, and his voice disappeared from my head. I was absolutely shocked and amazed. "I have to admit, that was pretty awesome," I said. Samuel chuckled, and set his ocarina down again. He continued with his explanation. "Then there's the Song of Healing, which is the song I need to free Jack with. It's used to heal people's souls and bodies, which kind of makes sense, considering what we have to do with it," he said.

I spoke up after Samuel finished. "Okay, I have another question. How did you teleport out of the Temple of Time?" I asked. Samuel smiled, and answered me. "I played another song, which is called the Minuet of Forest. It teleported me to Faron Woods, and that's just the start of it. There are way more songs that I can use to teleport. There's a song called the Bolero of Fire that teleported me to Eldin Volcano, and there's another called the Requiem of Spirit that teleported me back to Lanayru Desert," he replied.

"Plus, I think there are some more places I can teleport to. I tried to play a song called the Serenade of Water to teleport me to a place we'll go to in the near future, but it didn't work. My guess is that it'll work after we actually go to the place on foot," he added. I thought for a second, and spoke up. "So, does this mean that you're not going to need to ride Zelda's Loftwing anymore? Are you just going to teleport to wherever you need to go?" I asked.

Samuel shook his head. "No way, Link. I'm not _that _lazy; I'll probably only use the songs whenever we need to get something really fast, or when I feel like returning to places to look for treasure. Don't worry, I'm not going to ditch you like that. Besides, I prefer riding Zelda's Loftwing anyway; it's way more fun," he replied.

I thought for a second. Samuel had answered enough of my questions, so I decided that now was the time to leave. "Well, I guess that's everything I wanted to know. Let's head back to Skyloft," I said. Samuel nodded, and stuffed his ocarina back into his pouch. We stood up, and started to walk out of the Lumpy Pumpkin.

However, just before we came to the exit, another thought popped into my head, and I turned to Samuel. "Hey, Samuel. I have another small question," I said. Samuel turned to me. "What is it, Link?" he asked. I stared at Samuel for a second, and asked my question. "What's an elf?" I asked. Samuel laughed, and shook his head. When he replied, he didn't give me the answer I was looking for.

"It's not important, Link. Let's go," he said. I tried to get Samuel to budge, but he pushed the doors of the Lumpy Pumpkin open and walked outside before I could repeat myself. I followed him, and walked out of the Lumpy Pumpkin. As soon as we were outside, I noticed it was pitch dark, and I silently cursed. _"Damn it! Are you serious?" _I thought.

How long were Samuel and I in there? _"Apparently too long," _I thought. I quickly looked back inside the Lumpy Pumpkin, and saw that there wasn't anybody there except Pumm. _"Well, this is great," _I thought. Samuel and I were going to get into huge trouble if we were caught flying our Loftwings around this late at night.

Even though I was technically a senior now because I won the Wing Ceremony, I still wasn't allowed to fly my Loftwing at night; only knights were allowed to do that, because it was so dangerous. Plus, I knew I would probably anger my Loftwing if I called for it this late. So, I turned to Samuel, who was just about to jump off into the sky, and called out to him.

"Wait, Samuel! Don't jump!" I said. Samuel stopped at the last second, and turned around. "What is it, Link?" he asked. I started to explain. "Don't you know that we're not allowed to fly our Loftwings around at night?" I asked. Samuel thought for a second, and put his face into his palm. "Crap. I forgot about that," he mumbled. He picked his head up, and thought for a second. "Well, now what do we do? Do you think Pumm will let us stay the night here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "He might, but I don't want to intrude on him like that. We need a way to get back to Skyloft. Isn't there a song you can play on your ocarina to get us there?" I asked. Samuel thought for a second, and gasped. "Yeah, there is! I completely forgot about the Prelude of Light! That might work!" he said. He pulled his ocarina back out of his pouch, and played another quick tune.

As soon as Samuel finished his song, there was a blinding flash of yellow light. When it cleared, Samuel was completely gone, and I was left standing there like an idiot._ "Wow, great going, Samuel. You left without me," _I thought. I walked back to the Lumpy Pumpkin, and sat down on the steps. I sat there, thinking for a while, and waited to see if Samuel would come back. After about three minutes of waiting, I suddenly heard a voice in my head; it was Samuel.

"_Hey, Link. This is Samuel, in case you didn't know already. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the Prelude of Light worked, and I'm back at the Knight Academy right now. So, why don't you try it out yourself? Didn't Zelda give you her harp?" _he asked. I gasped, and reached into my pouch. Then, I pulled out Zelda's golden harp, and held it in my hands; it sparkled slightly in the moonlight.

As I held the harp, I scolded myself. _"I'm so stupid. I can't believe I forgot about this," _I thought. Samuel's voice continued right after I thought that._ "Yes, Link. You are stupid. Well, anyway, you already know how the song sounds, so just play it, and think of Skyloft. You should be teleported back there in an instant, no Loftwing required," _he said.

Samuel went on._ "Well, if you're not going to do anything else for the rest of the night, then I'll see you tomorrow. Alright, then. Love you. Bye," _he added. Samuel's voice disappeared from my head, and I honestly couldn't tell whether or not he was trying to be funny when he said his goodbye. I decided that it wasn't important, and stood back up.

I held Zelda's harp in my hands, and started playing it until I found notes that matched up with Samuel's Prelude of Light. Once I found the right ones, I played the song in its entirety. I thought of Skyloft, and stood there, waiting for something to happen. However, after about twenty seconds of waiting, I realized that it wasn't going to work. _"For Hylia's sake! Are you kidding me?"_ I thought.

I put Zelda's harp away, and looked out towards Skyloft. "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to chance it," I mumbled. I ran off the island, and called for my Loftwing. It took a little longer than usual, but he eventually responded, and I landed on his back. I gave my Loftwing a small kick, and sped towards Skyloft, praying that no one would see me.

(Samuel's POV)

I set my ocarina down on my nightstand, and sat down on Zelda's bed. Link was probably already in his bedroom by now, so I decided to get ready for bed, because there really wasn't anything else I could do for the night. As I undressed into my pants and tunic, I thought about the conversation I'd had with him at the Lumpy Pumpkin, and came to a couple of conclusions. For one, it was obvious that Link was on to the fact that Zelda was actually Hylia; he wasn't stupid, that's for sure.

I honestly didn't know what else to say to him, so I just told him to not think about it. But, I had a feeling that he wouldn't let it go. I knew Link wouldn't stop until he found out the answer, just like how he kept badgering me to tell him how I knew everything. _"Well, just don't give in to him this time, Samuel. Besides, if we keep going at the rate we are, then you'll only have to keep it a secret for another three days or so. You can definitely do that," _I thought.

I turned my thoughts away from Link, and began to focus on Jack again. Now that I had my ocarina back, I could speak to him whenever I wanted to. I wondered if he was doing alright, and decided to find out. So, I reached over to my nightstand, and picked my ocarina back up. I played Saria's Song very quietly, and thought about Jack. _"Hey, Jack. Are you there?" _I asked. After a few seconds, I heard a voice respond. It was Jack. _"Hey, Samuel. Yeah, I'm here. What's up?" _he asked.

I thought for a second. _"Not much, I guess. Link and I had a nice little chat at the Lumpy Pumpkin whenever we returned from Lanayru Desert," _I replied. Jack responded after a second. _"The Lumpy Pumpkin? What's that?" _he asked. I told Jack about the Lumpy Pumpkin. _"It's just a small restaurant near Skyloft. Link and I go there to eat sometimes. You wouldn't believe how good their pumpkin soup is, Jack. It's so amazing. Whenever you get freed from Ghirahim, I'm taking you there as soon as I can," _I replied.

I heard Jack respond after a few moments. _"Okay, then. I'll hold you to that. Now, you said that you and Link had a chat at this Lumpy Pumpkin. What did you talk about?" _he asked. I thought for a second, and told Jack about my conversation with Link. _"Well, Link wanted to know how I knew everything that's going to happen, so I told him about The Legend of Zelda series," _I responded.

Jack didn't miss a beat. _"_What? _So, he knows that he's a video game character now? How did he take it?" _he asked. I told Jack about my theory. _"Well, I didn't tell him that he was a video game character per se. Because, how can Ghirahim be just a video game character if he can travel into our world and kidnap us? So Ghirahim, Link, and everything else, in my opinion, are real. And actually, he took the whole thing pretty well," _I said.

"_Did he ask you anything else?" _Jack asked. I nodded, and responded. _"Yeah. Link wanted to know what you were talking about in the Earth Temple when you mentioned Hylia," _I replied. Jack spoke back immediately. _"Please tell me that you didn't tell him Zelda is Hylia," _he said. I shook my head, and responded back to him. _"Don't be stupid, Jack. Of course I didn't tell him that. I told him that it wasn't important, and that he shouldn't worry about it," _I replied.

I think I heard Jack give a small sigh of relief. _"Okay, then. Anything else?" _he asked. I gave a small chuckle, and answered. _"Yeah, actually. Link wanted to know what an elf was," _I answered. I heard Jack laugh in my head. _"Did you tell him?" _he asked. I shook my head. _"No. I didn't think that was important enough to tell him either. Plus, he would probably just get confused by it anyway," _I replied.

Jack laughed again, and continued. _"Hey, that reminds me. I have another question. Do you have any idea why your ears are pointy now?" _he asked. I thought for a second, and shook my head. _"No, I don't. I went home from school on Friday with normal ones, and as soon as I woke up in Skyloft, they were pointed. Why do you ask?" _I asked.

Jack responded after a second. _"I never told you how I got your ocarina back, did I?" _he asked. I shook my head. _"No, you didn't. You said I wouldn't want to know how you got it. Why? What happened?" _I asked. Jack paused for a second, and started to tell me his story. _"Well, the reason I asked about your ears is because you having pointy ears is actually an important detail in the story. I guess what happened isn't as bad as I thought it was, but it sucked anyway. Do you remember what my dark side said about hiding your ocarina in a Silent Realm?" _he asked.

I nodded. _"Yeah, I do. You had to go into a Silent Realm? With Guardians and Watchers and Waking Water?" _I asked. Jack responded after a moment. _"Yeah, I did. When we were in that spring after the Scaldera fight, Impa spoke to me in my mind, kind of like you're doing now. She said she was going to help me find your ocarina, and she transported me to the Silent Realm after I got possessed again," _he said.

"_When I woke up, I was standing in a Silent Realm of our neighborhood," _he continued. I interrupted Jack after he said that. _"Wait a minute. Impa, the servant of Hylia, transported you to a Silent Realm of _our neighborhood _to help you get my ocarina_?" I asked. I was shocked for a second, and forgot I was speaking telepathically. _"That's what Impa meant when she said Jack would be okay! It was because she was helping him the whole time!"_ I thought, remembering my chat I'd had with her early in the morning.

Jack spoke up after I thought that. _"What do you mean, she said I would be okay? Have you talked with Impa too?" _he asked. I gulped. I forgot that Jack didn't know who the woman at the Sealed Grounds was. Heck, I don't think he even knew she existed. So, I thought of a quick lie. _"Um yeah, actually. Impa appeared in my dream once and told me you would be alright," _I replied.

It seemed like Jack bought my lie. _"Oh. Well, anyway, I woke up in a Silent Realm of our neighborhood, and I had to collect fifteen Tears of Light. I actually failed it twice, because I didn't exactly know what I was doing at first, and the other time I tripped at the last second, and got caught just as I was about to enter that blue circle. And, let me tell you something right now; that place scares the living crap out of me. Those Guardians are the scariest things I've ever laid my eyes on, and the entire place itself seems unnatural in its own right. I hope I never have to go back to one of those again," _he said.

I gave an evil chuckle after Jack said that. _"Well, Jack, I'm sorry to scare you like this, but there are four more Silent Realms that Link and I are going to have to go through in our journey. And, depending on when you get freed, you'll probably have to do anywhere from one more to three more of them," _I said. Jack started freaking out. _"WHAT? No freaking way! Please tell me you're lying! Please!" _he shouted.

I thought about it for a second. _"Well, if you're freed at the Ancient Cistern, then you'll have to do one in Lanayru, one in Eldin, and one in Skyloft. If you're freed at the Fire Sanctuary, then you'll only have to do the one in Skyloft. So, it all depends on when you're freed," _I said. Jack responded after a few seconds. _"Well, now I almost _want_ to be freed later. I don't think I could take another three of those stupid things. I could barely do one," _he said.

I gave another laugh, and asked Jack to continue. _"Okay, so what happened after you beat the Silent Realm?" _I asked. Jack continued telling me his story. _"Oh, right. Well, I was taken back to my mind, and Impa was there. She explained to me why you needed your ocarina back, and why I had to get it to you at the Temple of Time. It's because you have pointy ears! Apparently, people with pointy ears can do magic better than regular people. Actually, now that I think about it, that actually makes sense, because didn't you learn how to summon your sword on, like, your second try?" _he asked. I nodded. _"Yeah, I did. And, by the way, Jack, people with pointed ears are called Hylians," _I thought. Jack responded after a second. _"Yeah, whatever, elf-boy. Anyway, let me continue with my story," _he said.

"_So, Impa gave me a small scroll with the Song of Healing on it, but I didn't have time to read it. Because as soon as I had the scroll, my dark side showed up, and made Impa disappear. And, I'll just say this right here, but he's really stupid for not checking my pockets before he left. I'm not complaining, but we'd be in a whole different situation if he had," _he said.

I nodded, and thought about Jack's story some more. _"What happened next?" _I asked. Jack continued telling me his story. "Well_, after my dark side left, I looked at the scroll that Impa gave me. But, I couldn't read it, because it was written in some kind of weird language that I couldn't understand._ _Plus, the notes on the scroll weren't regular notes. They were these stupid yellow circles with black arrows pointing in different directions," _he said.

I gave a small chuckle, because the notes that Jack was describing were the button combinations for songs in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. _"Ah, if only you were a Zelda fan before all of this happened, Jack. It would have made everything so much easier, it's not funny," _I thought. Jack replied to me. _"Shut up. Don't you want to hear the rest of my story?" _he asked. I nodded. _"Yeah, keep going. So, if you didn't know you needed the Song of Healing, then how did you figure it out?" _I asked.

_"I studied the yellow circles for what felt like forever, but I couldn't figure it out, so I decided to give up. I went to sleep, and had a dream. And, you'll never guess what it was. Do you remember that day where you tried to get me interested in Zelda by showing me that game where it wouldn't let you save? The one with the weird imp thing in it?" _he asked.

I nodded. _"Yeah. That's Majora's Mask. I actually remember that day, too. You kept wanting to go outside, but I wanted to watch the cutscene with the-" _I thought. I stopped for a second. _"Oh, my Goddess. The Song of Healing! That's how you found it out! You saw me playing Majora's Mask, and you learned the Song of Healing from there! Am I right?" _I asked.

Jack responded after a few seconds._ "Yeah, you're right. So, after I learned the Song of Healing, I just waited until the Temple of Time. And now, I'm back here in my mind, waiting for you to set me free," _he said. Jack paused for a moment, and continued after a few moments of silence. _"Well, I'm done. Is there anything else I should know about? What are you and Link doing tomorrow?"_ he asked.

I thought for a second. _"Well, we're probably going to have to do a huge boss fight tomorrow with the Imprisoned, which is basically just Demise," _I replied. Jack sounded worried when he responded. _"Demise? Are you sure? Isn't he the person that Ghirahim and my dark side are trying to resurrect?" _he asked. I thought about his question for a second.

I didn't have time or energy to go into the whole "Hylia-sealed-Demise-away-in-the-Sealed-Grounds-an d-now-he's-the-Imprisoned-and-we'll-have-to-fight -him-three-times" spiel, so I just responded with a quick answer. _"Technically, he's Demise, but I don't have the time to go into it right now. Besides, he's a pushover anyway. The Silent Realms are way harder than the Imprisoned boss fights, in my opinion,"_ I replied. "_Speaking of which, I'll probably have to help Link fix the Light Tower, go into the Thunderhead, go to the Isle of Songs, do its puzzle, learn a new song, do a Silent Realm, go through Lake Floria, and, if we're lucky, do the Ancient Cistern. We'll be doing so much tomorrow, it's not funny,"_ I added.

Jack spoke back after a few moments. _"Well, it does seem like you have a busy day tomorrow, so I'll let you get your sleep for now. I'll see you, Samuel. Good luck with all of that stuff. Especially the Silent Realm. You'll need it," _he said. Jack paused for a moment, and said his goodbye. _"Bye, Samuel," _he said. I nodded. _"Bye, Jack. See you," _I replied. Jack's voice disappeared from my head, and I lowered my ocarina. "_Wow, that took way longer than I expected,"_ I thought. I set my ocarina back on the nightstand, and took my glasses off. Then, I crawled into bed, and said a quick prayer. After my prayer, I closed my eyes, and drifted off into the bliss of sleep, thinking about tomorrow's events.

**Well, what did you guys think? Was this chapter good? Did you enjoy the part from Link's POV? I actually had another chapter from his POV typed, but I had to cut it because it would have just been 150% copied text from the game. I lacked so much originality back when I first started this, it wasn't funny. And, I pretty much still do. Anyway, thanks to EternalCacogen323 and Ashlee S for telling me to up my originality and descriptions before. I honestly hope that they've gotten better. And, Ashlee S, I'm sorry to say this, but I have no intentions of creating more OC's for this story. Maybe I will for a sequel, though, if you guys want one. ;) **

**Also, if you're curious as to what the Link chapter was, it was just the Statue of the Goddess events from the beginning of the game up until the beginning of Chapter 5. Yeah. Anyway, back to this chapter. Did you guys like how I broke the news to Link about the Legend of Zelda games? Do you have anything to say or add to it, or did you think I could have done something better? Leave a review telling me what you think.**

**Anyway, I guess that that's it. Once again, thanks to all of you guys for supporting this fic for this long! I wouldn't be anywhere without you guys! I was going to try and post the next chapter on Wednesday, but I guess that's not going to happen now. So, I'll see you guys whenever I get a new charger! Bye, and thanks for reading! :D **


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey, readers! After a one and a half month hiatus, I'm back in business! Yay! :D Let me just take the time right now to thank all of the people that reviewed my update chapter (which I have probably deleted by now.) *checks list of reviews* So, thank you to ToonLink(who was kind enough to review**_** three times**_**), EternalCacogen323, Conrad, Ashlee S, and Cooper Chambers for reviewing and giving me the support I needed. You guys are awesome, as well as everyone else who has supported this fic so far! ;D**

**But, before I get to the chapter, I just wanted to give you guys another little update. Don't worry, it's good news; as of typing these notes, I have officially finished the entire plot for this story. I have a complete idea of where I want to take the rest of this fic, and I also have an ending planned. But, I'm sure a random idea or two will sneak in there somewhere. **

**Also, as promised, things should go back to normal after this chapter, which means one chapter every 3-5 days, and once a week at the latest. On a side note, I'm joining marching band this year, and they meet in the summer. I don't know how that will affect my writing schedule, but it shouldn't be too bad. **

**Let me see…anything else? Um…Oh, yeah! I'm going to Symphony of the Goddesses in July when it comes to Baltimore! :D I already went to one last year(I won't say where it was, because that one was actually near where I live), and, let me say, it's freaking awesome. If you can get tickets, go to it. Also, I'll be (or, at least trying to be)cosplaying as Link while I'm there. So, if you happen to see me in Baltimore, and actually find me out of the hundreds of others who are probably going to be there too, then stop by and say "Hello, Sslamajama97!" ****If someone actually finds me while I'm there, I'll be really, really impressed (and slightly creeped out) because you guys don't even know what I look like(or, maybe you do). If you're going to Symphony of the Goddesses in Baltimore, then good luck finding me! ;)**

**Hmm...is that it? Nope! I've got two more announcements! Well, actually, it's more like two requests. So, here's the first one: I'm looking for a beta. Now, I'm not looking for one because I need my grammar to be better, although you're certainly welcome to correct it if you find anything. No, I'm looking for someone to give me advice on writing. Like, what sounds good to read plot-wise, if a certain section sounds too repetitive or stale, etc. And of course, if you spot errors of any kind, whether it's grammar, a plot hole, or something that just sounds stupid, then by all means, change it. I'm looking for someone to help me make my story the best it can possibly be, so if you've got the time, and you're feeling up to it, then shoot me a PM, and we'll get down to business. And yes, I know I can just get a beta on the site, but I'd rather have my beta be someone who's as interested in making sure this story does well as I am.**

**Now, onto the second request: If any of you guys are good at drawing, then here's your chance. I'm looking for an original drawing of some sort that I can use as the picture for this story. If you've got any sort of artistic skills at all, then I am asking you to draw a picture that represents the story(or at least, what you guys have seen so far.) I'm not looking for anything _too_ special, although you're certainly welcome to go all out on it. I'm just looking for a picture of Samuel, Jack, Link, etc. Or, something else that looks cool, and still represents the story. If you're going to draw Samuel and Jack, let me tell you that Samuel has shortish brown hair, glasses, green eyes, and he's a Hylian. And, Jack has short blond hair, and hazel eyes. **

**Anyway, if you can draw a picture that looks awesome and would make this fic look good, then feel free to send it in to me. PM me, and I'll give you my email so you can send it in. I'd do it myself, but I can't even draw a stick figure. Seriously. So, if you've got the time and the skills, then feel free to do it. I'll gather up all the submissions(assuming there are any), and the best one gets their drawing uploaded as the picture of this story for all of FF to see! Also, I'll give you a shout out! Lots of them! **

**Anyway, I think I'm finally done with all of this introduction stuff. So, after all this time, it's finally time for Chapter Thirty-One! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and guess what? It's a filler chapter. :( Yeah, sorry about that. I picked an awesome point in the game to stop publishing, didn't I? Just before all of the long walls of text that you don't want to read? Meh. Anyway, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-One: Yeah, Right, and I'm Din**

(Samuel's POV)

As soon as I woke up, I collected my glasses, put them on, and yawned. _"Man, I feel like I've been asleep for a month and a half. I must have been completely wrecked last night," _I thought. After waking myself up some more, I put the rest of my clothes on, and stuffed my ocarina back into my pouch. I put my pouch, shield, and sword on, and exited Zelda's room. As I walked down to Link's room, I thought about everything that had happened yesterday, and about what today could bring.

"_Well, you certainly have a bunch of stuff to do today, that's for sure," _I thought, running through the events that were supposed to happen today in my head. _"Just pray that today goes smoothly. Who knows? Jack might even be free by the end of today, if you're lucky," _I thought. I thought about the boss battle at the Ancient Cistern; Koloktos was my personal least favorite boss of the entire game, even though I thought it was a good boss overall. Plus, I was pretty sure that Evil Jack would show up during the fight and make things even worse for us.

I shook my head, and entered Link's room. _"Hold on a second, Samuel. You're getting way ahead of yourself. You and Link still have a bunch of things to do before you even fight Koloktos, so don't worry about it for now. Worry about fighting the Imprisoned for now," _I told myself. As I told Jack last night, the Imprisoned's first form was probably the easiest boss there was in the entire game. Plus, once you knew the fast way to take him down, he was even easier.

By now, I was standing over Link's bed. Link was fast asleep, as usual. So, I started shaking his shoulder. "Link, wake up! We don't have any time to waste today!" I shouted. I kept shaking Link's shoulder for a few seconds, and, miraculously, he woke up. "Huh? Who's…" he asked. Link opened his eyes, saw me, and turned back over, hiding his head under the pillow like a child. "No! Come on, Samuel! Five more minutes!" he said.

I laughed, and quickly snatched the pillow away from Link. Link tried to take the pillow back from me, but he was too slow, and I threw it over on the other side of the room. Link gave a groan, and sighed. "Alright! I'm up!" he shouted. He got out of bed, and snatched his pouch off of his desk. As he put his items on, I spoke up.

"That must be some kind of record for least amount of effort put into waking you up," I said. Link walked over to the pillow, picked it up, and threw it back onto his bed. "Well, excuse me, Samuel! Not all of us can teleport wherever we want whenever we want to! I tried playing that song on my harp last night, but nothing happened! I had to call my Loftwing in the dead of night, and have him fly me back here! To top it all off, Pipit spotted me, and gave me a huge lecture about staying up at night when you're not a knight! So, I ended up going to sleep about an hour late!" he shouted.

I laughed at Link some more, and responded. "Well, I'm sorry about that, Link. I thought the Prelude of Light would work, but I guess I was wrong. Actually, I'm pretty surprised it didn't work," I said. I thought about what Link told me for a second. "_Why didn't it work?_ _Isn't the Goddess Harp supposed to be Sheik's harp from Ocarina of Time or something like that?" _I thought. I pondered the question for a second, and came up with an answer.

"_Well, it might be, but then again, Sheik never actually used the harp to teleport. I mean, he never actually teleported away from you after he played the teleportation songs. I don't know, maybe the harp only works with certain songs, and the ocarina works with other ones,"_ I thought. I put the question in the back of my mind, and responded back to Link.

"Well, let's just head to the Bazaar to get some things, and then we'll head back to the Sealed Grounds and meet up with the old woman that Impa mentioned," I said. Link nodded, and gave a small yawn. "Okay. Let's get going, then," he said. We walked out of Link's room, left the Knight Academy, and walked over to the Bazaar. As soon as we were inside, Link and I split up.

Link went over to the Potion Shop to buy some Heart Potion, and I headed over to the Scrap Shop to get my shield fixed. I paid Gondo 10 Rupees, and he fixed my Banded Shield for me. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right items to upgrade anything, so I left the Scrap Shop, and headed over to the Item Check.

Peatrice didn't look too happy to see me when I arrived. _"Well, then again, she usually isn't happy to see anyone," _I thought. I didn't need to start anything unnecessary with Peatrice, so I kept conversation to a minimum, and sold my Seed Satchel to her for 50 Rupees.

I gave Peatrice a small nod, and smiled. "Thanks," I said, pocketing my money. I walked away from her, and looked over at the Potion Shop. I still had my Heart Potion and my Fairy, so I didn't need to stop by there. Link was now looking around Rupin's Item Shop, so I decided to leave him be for a minute. Instead, I walked over to Sparrot's tent once more. Sparrot was, once again, delighted to see me. I handed him 10 Rupees, and thought for a moment. _"What should I ask him?" _I thought.

After a moment, I asked my question. "Will I see my friend at the Ancient Cistern?" I asked. Sparrot nodded. "Let me see what I can see!" he responded. He stared at his crystal ball for a second, and suddenly turned back to me. "I see many things. All is revealed," he said. I nodded, and waited for him to continue.

"I can definitely confirm you will meet with your friend today, Samuel. In fact, I saw more than that. I saw three people standing in a weird room, and I can say for certain that your friend was one of them. I also saw you in the room as well. I…I saw you take out a blue object, but I don't know what it was," he said.

I took out my ocarina, and showed it to Sparrot. "Was it this?" I asked. Sparrot nodded. "That's exactly it. I saw you raise that object to your mouth, and then…" he started. Sparrot paused for a moment, and I interrupted him again. "Then what? What happened?" I asked. Sparrot shook his head. "Sadly, that is all I saw. My vision cut off after that exact moment. It's such a shame that I'm not able to see clearly enough for a valued customer such as yourself, Samuel," he replied.

I thought about Sparrot's vision for a moment. _"Well, at least now I know that I'm going to play my ocarina in front of Jack, which means that I'll definitely be freeing him soon," _I thought. I was going to say goodbye to Sparrot, but at that moment, Link walked up to me. "Hey, Samuel. Did you get everything you need?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready when you are," I replied. I turned back to Sparrot, and said a quick goodbye to him. Then, Link and I walked out of the Bazaar.

Link and I headed for the nearest diving platform, and dove into the sky. I whistled for Zelda's Loftwing, and Link called for his. They appeared after a few seconds, and we flew towards the green column of light at breakneck speed. As we approached the column, I thought about the Imprisoned battle one more time, trying to calm myself down. Even though I knew the Imprisoned was a pushover, I was still a little bit scared by it. I mean, how was it _not _possible to be scared, even slightly?

I eventually shoved those thoughts out of my head as Link and I passed over the hole in the cloud barrier. We jumped off of our Loftwings, and started descending towards the surface. As we fell lower and lower, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was forgetting about something. Something important. Link and I passed through the cloud barrier, and I could see the Sealed Grounds directly below us. Just as I was about to completely forget about that feeling I'd had, I heard a voice shout out from above us.

"Link! Pip-squeak! HEEELP!" it said. I turned my head around, and looked behind me. I saw Groose falling towards me at terminal velocity, and my eyes opened wide. Link looked behind him as well, and screamed when he saw Groose. "Groose! What in Hylia's name are you doing?!" he shouted. Groose smacked into both of us, and grabbed on for dear life. He started dragging us downward, but I managed to pull out my Sailcloth before we crashed into the Sealed Grounds.

My Sailcloth caught on the wind, and slowed us down slightly. However, the three of us still collided into the surface with enough force to knock our breaths away. Groose, Link, and I laid there for a moment, trying to regain our breathing. Eventually, Groose spoke up. "Ugh, rough landing. I think I mighta broke something. Hey, guys, seriously…Didn't anyone ever teach you how to land without crash-" he started.

However, Groose stopped in his tracks when he saw exactly where he was. He noticed some birds were sitting on him, and started freaking out. "WHOA! B-birds? TINY birds?! Wh-what…ARE they?!" he shouted. He turned around, and noticed Gorko the Goron, who had just returned from Lanayru. "And what is that thing?!" he shouted.

Groose had a look of complete shock and uncertainty on his face, and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life, period. "But…how…Wh-why…Wha-what…Where am I?!" he shouted. After getting no reply, Groose stood up, ran over to Link, and started shaking him back and forth. "What's going on here, Link? Ever since Zelda vanished, you and him have been zipping in and out of town all in a hurry! So I figured I'd tail you two, and you might lead me to Zelda," he said.

Link tried to calm him down, but it didn't work. "Groose, I-" he started. But, Groose kept going. "But this is…so wild. Seriously, what IS that thing over there?! And what's with all these trees? There are so many!" he said. Groose turned to Link, and started shaking him again. "Just give it to me straight! I can take it. Where are we? Is Zelda here?" he asked.

I chuckled. _"Well, Groose, if you want to get technical about it, then yes, Zelda's here. She's technically been here the whole time," _I thought. However, Groose kept going. "What's the deal with this place?! If there's supposed to be nothin' below the clouds, what's all this?" he asked. After what seemed like forever, Groose finally stopped shaking Link, and I thanked the Goddesses that it wasn't me that was being shaken like that.

Link gave a small smile, and patted Groose's arm. "Okay, we'll try and explain everything," he said. He turned to me. "Samuel, can you help me try and explain the situation using words that Groose can understand?" he asked. I nodded, and smiled. "Yeah, I'll try," I said. I turned to Groose, who still looked shocked. "Okay, Groose. Do you know the legends about how there's a land beneath the clouds? Well, they're true. You're standing on that land right now. This is the surface," I said.

Link nodded, and picked up where I left off. "Yeah, Groose. You know how Zelda is always rambling about the surface? Well, it turns out that she was right. Long ago, Hylia sent Skyloft to the sky after a huge war. But, you already know that, don't you? We've already learned about these legends in the Knight Academy," he said.

I nodded. "Yeah, you already know this stuff, so we'll just let you know that we're trying to find and save Zelda. Now, Link and I have to go see an old woman that lives in the temple down the road to find out what to do next," I said.

Groose continued staring at Link and I like we were from a different planet. He dropped to his knees after hearing our words, and somehow looked more confused than before. "Uhhhh…Whoa…You guys are kind of imploding my mind right now…But I think I get what you're saying. If I've got this right, Zelda is down here somewhere and she's…OK?" he asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah, Zelda's fine, Groose," he replied. Groose gave a smile. "She's…She's OK. Oh, wow! That's so great!" he said. Groose leaned into his arm, and started crying softly. "Hearing that is such a…huge weight off my mind," he sobbed. Groose finished crying, and started looking around the clearing.

"You know, guys…It's sort of all right down here," he said. He kept looking around, and continued. "This place needs a name. Yeah…A name fitting for this rugged, adventurous wilderness. From now on, we'll call it…" he started. _"Hyrule?" _I thought sarcastically. Groose finished his sentence. "Grooseland!" he shouted. Link stood back after Groose's suggestion, and started laughing.

"Yeah, sure. Grooseland. Whatever you say," he said. He turned to me. "Does Grooseland sound good to you, Samuel?" he asked sarcastically. I scoffed, and nodded. "Yeah, Link. Grooseland sounds _perfect_," I replied sarcastically. Then, I quickly coughed into my hand. "Hyrule!" I said in-between coughs. Link looked confused. "What did you just say?" he asked. I shook my head. "Oh, don't worry about it, Link. I'm sure you'll find out later," I replied.

Link and I continued explaining the situation to Groose. Eventually, he stood back up, and straightened his huge pompadour. "So, lemme see if I've got this right. The old lady living in the temple down the road from here knows where Zelda is?" he asked. _"Oh, she knows more than that, Groose. Trust me," _I thought. Link nodded, and answered Groose.

"Um, yeah. She knows where Zelda is…why do you ask?" he asked. Groose smiled, and addressed the both of us. "I see…Right, guys. Thanks for getting me here. You've both done a good job. You can head home. Big Groose will handle the search for Zelda from here," he said. Groose started chuckling to himself, and rubbed his hands together. "Yup. I'll track her down, save her, and then give her a lift back to Skyloft…" he said.

"Then when we get back, I'll ask her if she wants to make our whole going-out thing official, and then the two of us will get some quality time together," he continued. I almost burst out laughing at Groose's words, but I held it in. _"You seriously think that Zelda wants to be in a relationship with _you_, Groose? Yeah, right, and I'm Din," _I thought.

Groose turned back to Link and I. "Anyway, the point is your work here is done. I got it covered from here! Now, it's off to find that old lady you were talking about," he said. He turned around, and ran off to the Sealed Temple. "Catch you later, Link! And you too, uh, Samuel!" he shouted, struggling to remember my name.

Link watched as Groose vanished from sight. Then, he turned to me. "Well, I'm certainly not giving up after all of this. Are you?" he asked. I shook my head. "No way. You still need to find Zelda, and I still need to free Jack. So, I say screw him, and let's just keep going," I said. Link nodded, and turned back in the direction of the Sealed Temple. "Okay, then. Let's follow him," he said.

Link and I made our way over to the Sealed Temple. We eventually came to the side door, and walked inside. When we got inside, I saw Groose arguing with Impa in the middle of the temple. He was obviously pissed at her. "Huh? You gotta be kidding me, Grannie! You're messing with me. Say it again, I dare you!" he shouted.

Impa responded with a completely monotone voice. "I only speak the truth. You are not the one who will save her. The spirit maiden, your Zelda, can only be saved by another. It has been his fate to do this thing, and in doing so save us. As it was decided long ago before you were brought crying into this world," she said. I chuckled. _"Getting owned by Impa. Always fun to watch,"_ I thought.

Groose, however, didn't listen. "Shut it, Grannie! You obviously don't know me well, 'cause if you did, you'd know that if anyone's going to save Zelda, it's Groose! How could it not be me? Plus, if it ain't me, why would I even be here? Pffft. If I'm not up to the job of being the hero, just who is?" he asked. By now, Link and I were already nearing the pair, and he turned around. "Huh? Oh…now I getcha," he said.

Groose turned to Link. "Link, Grannie here has been trying to tell me you're gonna be the big hero who rescues Zelda. What a joke! Look, all I've heard so far is a bunch of babbling about destiny, but that's a load of garbage. I know you, and you're no hero, shrimp!" he shouted. I was about to whip out my sword and point it at Groose again, but he ran outside of the Temple before I could get it out. As soon as Groose was out of sight, Impa turned to the both of us. "Greetings, Link and Samuel. Were you able to catch up with Zelda?" she asked.

I took a breath, and tried to answer Impa's question without tipping off Link about anything. "Well, we did, but that stupid Ghirahim tried to kidnap her as soon as we met up with her. There was a huge fight at the Temple of Time, and some weird woman that we met at the Earth Temple managed to save Zelda from any harm," I replied. Link nodded, and backed up my statement.

"Yeah, that's basically what happened. Now, Zelda's completely gone," he added. Impa nodded, and spoke up. "Ah, I see. So, the guardian was there as well, was she?" she asked. Link nodded, and Impa turned to him. She started to tell Link more about herself. "The one you saw by Zelda's side is known as Impa. She is a being sent forth by the goddess to aid Zelda in her quest. The two have traveled somewhere in order to accomplish the great task destiny has set before them," she said.

Impa went on. "However, now that Impa has destroyed the gate that they used, there is only one way left to find them," she said. Luckily, Link didn't question how Impa knew about the Gate of Time, and spoke up. "How? How can we find Zelda?" he asked. Impa turned to Link, and answered him. "You must make use of the harp given to you by Zelda," she replied.

"Tell me, Link. Have you attempted to play the harp that you received?" she asked. Link nodded, and pulled out his harp. "Yeah, actually. I tried to play it last night, but it didn't work. Samuel played some song on his ocarina that he got at the Temple of Time, and it teleported him back to Skyloft. But, for some reason, it didn't work for me. Why not?" he asked.

Impa stared at me. "Samuel, you managed to obtain an instrument as well?" she asked, trying to sound surprised. I nodded, and pulled out my ocarina. "Yep," I replied. Then, I snuck a small wink at her. Impa stared at me and my ocarina for a moment. "I see," she said. She turned back to Link, and answered his question. "Link, the harp you hold is known as the Goddess's Harp. It is a divine instrument of the goddess who once watched over this land. The melodies it brings to life have the power to produce a variety of strange and otherworldly effects. However, it seems that it will only work if you play certain songs on it," she said.

Impa turned to me. "Look at your ocarina, Samuel. Unfortunately, it seems that your ocarina will only produce effects for songs you have already learned. The Song of Healing that you need to free your friend is one of them. Most of the songs you already know how to play will produce magical effects, but it will not work for new ones," she said.

I was confused for a second. "So, what you're saying is that songs I know will work with my ocarina, and the others will work with Link's harp?" I asked, remembering my theory from before. Impa nodded. "Correct," she replied. Then, she turned to Link. "Link, I need you to listen well and do as I say. I need you to ready your harp, and prepare to strum it," she said.

Link held his harp up, and started strumming it back and forth. However, he was going too fast, so Impa told him to match his strumming up with the time that it took her braid to swing back and forth. Once Link got the timing down, Impa commended him. "Good. You learn fast. Now for your next lesson," she said. Impa told Link to play along with the circle of light that appeared on the floor, so he did. The circle appeared, and Link matched his strums along with it. When he got the timing down, Impa started humming along with him. I recognized the song they were playing as the Ballad of the Goddess, and stood there, watching Link play along.

When Link finished the song, I saw a huge light appear from behind him. He looked over his shoulder, and turned around to see what was happening. A huge slab of stone started rising up out of the ground, eventually clicking into place. I knew that the huge stone was actually another Gate of Time, but to me it looked more like a game of Tetris with weird symbols scattered all around it.

Impa spoke up to Link. Because she had already explained the Goddess's Harp to him, she started explaining the Gate of Time instead. "The great slab of stone before you is known as a Gate of Time. It is the last of its kind in existence…The only known portal binding our world to the one where Zelda now resides. If you manage to open the gate and pass through, you will likely end up in the same place as Zelda. But, you will need to endure many hardships and put yourself in great danger to awaken the gate from its dormant state," she said.

Impa continued. "Though your journey will put you in harm's way, Link…You must endure. It is your fate as one of the chosen heroes of the godde-" she started. However, Impa's words were cut off when the ground started to shake very, very hard. I heard a huge roar permeate the air, and knew it could only be one thing. _"Oh, goody. It's time for the Imprisoned,"_ I thought sarcastically.

Link turned back to Impa. "W-what is this? Why is the ground shaking?" he asked. Impa just sat there for a moment, and muttered to herself. "This shaking…I fear the seal has been broken. I expected that it would react to your summoning the gate, but I never imagined the seal would break so quickly," she said.

Impa turned to Link and I. "Link, Samuel, there will be more time to explain later. Right now, you two must hurry to the bottom of the pit outside," she said. Link looked at me, then back at Impa. He put his harp away, and turned to me again. "What's happening? Can you please tell me, Samuel?" he asked. I shook my head. "Later, Link! Now's not the time! Let's head to the bottom of the pit!" I said.

I turned to Impa, and gave a small nod. Then, I ran past the Gate of Time, and headed for the main door. However, Link followed me, and managed to stop me on the way out. "Wait a minute, Samuel! Don't you remember what happened the last time we were near that pit? Don't you remember the huge monster that almost swallowed us alive?" he asked.

I ignored Link, and pushed the doors of the Sealed Temple open. Once we were outside, I answered him. "Exactly, Link. We have to stop that thing in the pit," I said. The color drained out of Link's face. "_What?"_ he shouted. However, Impa was now outside the Sealed Temple with us; Groose was there too, and screamed when the ground gave another huge tremble. "Whoa! Wh-what's with all the shaking? The whole ground is heaving…I thought it was supposed to be solid down here!" he shouted. Impa turned to us, and told us what to do. "Go quickly, you two! Check on the sealing spike at the center of the pit. There is nothing natural about these tremors. That monster could free itself at any moment. Approach the pit with caution!" she said.

Link turned back to me, and gulped. I have never seen him as scared as he was now, and I honestly couldn't blame him. After all, we _were_ just about to fight against a monster that was about ten times our size, even if it was a complete pushover. "A-are y-you r-ready, S-Samuel?" Link stammered. I looked down into the center of the pit, and noticed that the seal was glowing red, which meant that the Imprisoned would be breaking free any second.

I nodded, and took out my Sailcloth. "Yeah, Link! I'm ready! Come on! We need to get down there fast!" I responded. I jumped off the side of the pit, and let my Sailcloth carry me to the next level below. Link followed me, and we eventually reached the bottom of the pit. I strapped my Sailcloth to my belt, seeing as I would need it a lot in this next battle.

As soon as Link and I were at the bottom of the pit, I looked at the sealing spike; it had huge amounts of dark energy coming off it every second. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the darkness amplified, growing larger and larger until it covered the entire ground. After a few seconds, the Imprisoned rose out of the darkness, and gave another huge roar. It looked down at Link and I, and we unsheathed our swords.

"_Well, Samuel. This is it," _I thought. The Imprisoned gave another huge roar, and started advancing forward.

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter back from my hiatus! I'm sorry for leaving off with a cliffhanger like that, and I'm also sorry if it seemed like I didn't get very far in this chapter. I promise I'll get more done in the next chapter! **

**Also, before you ask (because I know at least one person is going to ask this), yes, I think that Sheik is a male; it just makes more sense to me that Sheik would be one. Zelda used the Triforce of Wisdom to turn into him, and the Triforce, as we all know, can do anything, including changing someone's gender**. **I'm not talking about the subject any more than that, because I know it's a huge topic open for debate. I'm just giving you guys my opinion on it, and it doesn't even really matter that much, because this is Skyward Sword, and not Ocarina of Time. Plus, I only mentioned it once, and it wasn't even super crucial to the plot.**

**Anyway, on that note, leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter, or have something else to say! I'll be looking forward to all of the drawings from you guys, and remember that I'm also looking for a beta reader. If you're interested in either of the two, then PM me. Good luck! Anyway, I'll try to publish the next chapter soon, so I'll see you all then! Bye! :D**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hey, readers! Guess what? It's time for Chapter Thirty-Two! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and will cover the Imprisoned boss fight, and part of the propeller quest. There's good news and bad news about this chapter. The good news is that it's long. The bad news is that it's mostly text from the game, and not original. But, it has to go somewhere, right? ;)**

**Anyway, this is kinda off topic, but who's excited for all of the stuff that Nintendo just announced at E3? I am, especially for Smash Bros. and MarioKart 8! Actually, I got to play MarioKart 8 today at my local Best Buy, and it was awesome! Also, I came in 1st place! :P I also got to try out Wind Waker HD, and it was completely amazing as well. Although, I didn't make it very far, because I was too busy looking at everything. Oh, well. I'll just go back on Saturday and play it again. ;)**

**Anyway, getting back to the important stuff, thanks to ToonLink, thehomiewhowrites, and Demon Princess of Time for reviewing, and enjoy!**

**Also, I'd like to thank PhantasmicFire323 for helping me beta read this chapter! So, thanks! ;) Okay, **_**now**_** you can enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Did He Suddenly Fade Out of Existence?**

(Samuel's POV)

Link and I ran out of the way of the Imprisoned as it neared us; as it passed us by, Impa spoke from atop the pit. "I knew it. The seal has given way. I'll explain later, but now is the time for action. We must keep that beast from escaping that pit! It must not reach the temple!" she said. At least, I knew that's what she was saying; even though I had Hylian ears, the Imprisoned's huge footsteps echoed off the sides of the pit, making it really hard to hear her.

Link and I stared at the Imprisoned for another second. Then, Link turned to me; I noticed that he was actually cowering in fear. "H-how in Hylia's name are we supposed to hold this t-thing b-back? It's got to be at least f-fifty times as big as us!" he stammered. I looked back at him, and responded. "Don't worry, Link! This guy might look all tough, but he's actually really easy! Do you see the spike on its head?" I shouted over the Imprisoned's footsteps.

Link looked at the Imprisoned's head, and squinted. Then, he nodded. "Yeah, I see it! Is that its weak point?" he shouted. I nodded. "Yeah! That's it! All we need to do is find a way to get to it!" I replied. Link started looking around at the air holes, and smiled. "I think I've got an idea, Samuel! Maybe we can use these air holes to get up to its head!" he shouted.

I heard Link's idea, and smiled. _"Well, Link. Good job. You've figured out the easy way to beat it in no time flat," _I thought. I tried to act like I didn't already know how to beat the Imprisoned, and nodded. "Okay then, Link! You go ahead and use the air holes to get to its head, and I'll stay down here and try to damage it another way!" I replied. Link nodded back, and charged for the nearest air hole. When he reached it, he took out his Sailcloth, and was blown up to the next level of the pit, past the Imprisoned.

Link disappeared from view, so I turned back to the Imprisoned, and charged. I knew attacking its toes definitely wasn't the best strategy to use. Plus, I knew its toes would regenerate after Link damaged it. But, I had nothing else to do, so I waited for the Imprisoned to put its foot down near me, and slashed at its back toe. After a couple of slashes, the toe disappeared, and I ran over to the next one. I managed to get rid of that one as well, and quickly put my sword away. For some reason, the Imprisoned's foot glowed with a red shockwave, even though we hadn't damaged it yet. But, I jumped backward, and managed to dodge it.

I looked upward, and saw Link preparing to jump onto the Imprisoned's head. I knew Link would be thrown off its head after he damaged it, so I decided to get up to the next level of the pit, and pick up where he would leave off. I pulled out my ocarina, and ran for the nearest air hole. Then, I quickly played Saria's Song, and thought about Link.

"_Hey, Link! Watch out, because that thing will try to throw you off once you damage it! Once you do, just stay down here and slash at its toes. I'll get it next!" _I thought. I didn't wait for an answer, and took out my Sailcloth. I ran into the air hole, and was blown up to the next level of the pit. I turned, and saw Link jump onto the Imprisoned's head. He landed safely, and I saw him quickly take out his sword. Link slashed at the sealing spike, and drove it straight into the monster's head.

I quickly ran towards the Imprisoned, and watched as huge waves of light were sent through it from Link's attacks. It eventually gave a roar of pain, tilted its head backward, and threw Link off. I guess he heard my message, because he already had his Sailcloth out. It caught on the air, and Link slowly drifted down to the ground. I turned back to the Imprisoned, and saw the sealing spike slowly resurface out of its head.

I knew my small amount of progress below was ruined, but I didn't care. I charged along the slope, trying to catch up to the Imprisoned. I eventually did, and jumped onto its head. I took out my sword, and prepared to slash at the sealing spike, just as Link had done before. However, before I could strike, the Imprisoned gave another huge roar, and threw its head backward. I was thrown off, and started plummeting to the ground below.

Luckily, I still had my Sailcloth tied to my belt, so I whipped it out, and softly drifted down to the ground. On my way down, a wave of confusion hit me. _"Why did it do that? It's not supposed to throw you off that fast until its third form! That was way too early!" _I thought. However, now definitely wasn't the time to complain; the Imprisoned was now about halfway to the Sealed Temple, and because of my blunder, we had only managed to damage it once.

I landed on the ground, and ran forward to catch up with Link. _"Okay, so the easy way is obviously out; I guess it couldn't possibly be that stupid in real life. Link and I will just have to beat it the old-fashioned way," _I thought. I caught up with Link, who had just destroyed the last toe on its right foot. When Link saw me run through the monster's legs, he gave a gasp. "Samuel? Aren't you supposed to be up on its head?" he asked.

I pulled out my sword, and had to dodge another shockwave before I answered him. "Well, I'm supposed to be there, but I got thrown off. I don't think getting to its head will work anymore, so we're just going to have to damage its feet instead," I replied. Link nodded, and ran behind the Imprisoned's other foot. When the Imprisoned set its foot on the ground, Link slashed at its back toe, and I continued slashing at its front ones. I kept slashing back and forth until all of the toes were destroyed. Link eventually destroyed the last toe, and the Imprisoned fell backward.

Link had to jump out of the way to avoid being squished, so I ran behind the Imprisoned, and approached its head. I took my sword, and slashed upward at the sealing spike. With each slash that I dealt to the Imprisoned, a huge wave of light was sent into its body. I eventually sent the sealing spike all the way into the Imprisoned's head, and it gave another huge roar. It sat up, and fell forward, landing on its belly.

Link got back up from his dive, and ran back over to me. I watched as the Imprisoned started to slither away from us, sort of like a snake. It traveled along the path, and Link and I chased after it. _"Well, at least you only have one more hit to go," _I thought as we gained on the monster. Eventually, the Imprisoned stopped slivering, and stood back up. Its toes regenerated, the sealing spike resurfaced, and it resumed walking towards the Sealed Temple.

Link and I charged forward, and I noticed that the Imprisoned was moving ever-so-slightly slightly faster than it was before. Plus, shockwaves were coming out of its feet with every step it took. As if that wasn't enough, the Imprisoned started into the final lap around the Sealed Grounds; if we didn't stop it quickly, then it would destroy the Sealed Temple, kill the sleeping Zelda inside, and doom us all.

Link and I caught up to the monster, and slashed at its back toes. They disappeared after a few slashes, but I got hit by one of the shockwaves in the process. I was sent backward, and landed on the ground. I quickly got back up, and shook the pain away. Then, I charged forward, and caught up with Link again. He had just destroyed the toes on the Imprisoned's left foot, so I ran forward, and aimed for its right one. I slashed at the remaining toes over and over until they all disappeared.

As soon as I destroyed the last toe, the Imprisoned fell backward once more. "Yes!" I shouted. We had almost won; Link was closest to the sealing spike, so he ran behind the Imprisoned, and whipped out his sword again. He didn't waste any time, and quickly slashed at the sealing spike. More waves of light permeated the Imprisoned, and I knew that it wouldn't be able to handle any more.

The Imprisoned continued pulsing with the white light of the sealing spike, and eventually gave a huge roar of defeat. It froze in place for a second, and exploded with a light that completely blinded me. I shielded my eyes, looked away for a second, and waited for the light to die down. It eventually did, and the ball of light that was once the Imprisoned suddenly exploded again, forming hundreds of black scaly crystals.

I stared in awe as all of the crystals collected into the sealing spike, which was now hovering at the center of the pit. Link and I walked to the edge of the pit, and stared at the spike for a few seconds. We heard a voice shout from above, and turned to see who it was; it was Impa. "Now, you two! Strike the sealing spike with a Skyward Strike, and restore the seal! Quickly!" she shouted.

Link turned to me. "Let's get down there fast. I don't need that thing breaking free again," he said. I chuckled, and Link jumped down to the bottom of the pit. I followed him, and we walked to the center of the pit. The sealing spike was still hovering above the ground, so Link took out his sword, and I took out mine. Link held his sword up to the sky, and charged a Skyward Strike. When his sword was fully charged, he swung it at the sealing spike, and the light from his strike permeated it.

As soon as the light made contact with the spike, all of the details that were engraved into it lit up. I recognized the symbols of the three golden goddesses, but there wasn't much else. I turned to Link. "Okay, Link. You got to do the Skyward Strike, so I'll do this next part," I said. Link nodded, and stood back. I turned back to the sealing spike, and raised my own sword up to it.

I charged up a Skyward Strike of my own, but I didn't swing my sword directly at the sealing spike. Instead, I slashed my sword in three directions, creating a perfect triangle of light. As soon as I completed the triangle, it lit up even more. Then, I started doing a simple sword maneuver. I swung my sword downward, first to my left, and continuing to my right in a single motion. I swung my sword back to the middle, and thrust it straight towards the ground. The sealing spike was shoved into the ground, and a new seal was instantly formed, trapping the Imprisoned once more.

Link stared at my work, and gave a small laugh. "Aw, Samuel! You got to do the cool part!" he said mockingly. I put my sword away, and smiled. "Yep, I sure did. Don't worry, Link; I promise that if this happens again, I'll let you do the cool part," I said. Link laughed, and continued making fun of me. "Okay, then, I'll hold you to that. Also, what was it that you said about this battle being really easy? Because if I'm not mistaken, we almost lost," he said.

I glared at him. "Shut up, Link. I didn't know that that thing would be able to throw me off so easily; it usually takes way longer for it to do that. If I had known that, then I would have just stayed on the ground the whole time. You know, Link, you'd better thank Hylia that you're alive right now; you looked like you were about to wet your pants when that thing showed up!" I retorted.

Link scoffed. "I was not going to wet my pants! I was just scared by it slightly! How could you _not_ be scared by something like that?" he asked. I thought about it for a second. _"I don't know, maybe I just don't get scared by things like the Imprisoned very much. It's either that, or I've just beaten it so many times that it's not super scary anymore," _I thought.

Link and I would have continued playfully arguing back and forth, but Groose walked up to us, and commended us. "Nice going," he said. Then, Impa walked up to us, and spoke up. "Though the Imprisoned had only just begun to awaken and break its bonds, I'm impressed you were able to restore the seal keeping it captive. Unfortunately, you two have only succeeded in buying us a little more time in which to act," she said.

"The behemoth you beat back into confinement is a horror of unspeakable power," she continued. "Really? I didn't know that," I heard Link mutter to himself. Impa went on. "Judging by what I saw, I would not be surprised if the seal gave way again soon," she said. Link's attitude immediately disappeared, and he spoke up.

"W-wait a minute. We have to f-fight that thing again?!" he stammered. Link turned to me, and I saw a desperate look in his eyes. _"Man, he must really be freaked out by that thing," _I thought. "I thought you were just joking when you said that we had to fight that again! Please, tell me you were joking!" he said. I didn't want to scare Link, but I shook my head. "She speaks the truth, Link. We're going to have to fight that thing two more times," I said.

Link huffed. "Well, that's just…that's just fantastic!" he muttered. Impa continued with her speech after a moment of silence from Link. "So, you two are left with precious little time to complete the task with which you have been entrusted. Return to the Sealed Temple, boys. There is much to discuss," she said. Impa started back towards the Sealed Temple, and we followed her. The four of us eventually made it back to the Sealed Temple, and I pushed the doors open. We walked inside, and made our way over to the inactive Gate of Time. After staring at it of a moment or two, Impa spoke up. "As you can see, the gate is nothing more than a slab of cold stone for now. It is sleeping," she said.

Link was confused. "Sleeping?" he asked. Impa nodded. "Rousing it from its slumber would require great power. However, I believe a shot of holy light from your Skyward Strike might just do it…" she said. She trailed off, and Link took that as an excuse to pull out his sword. However, Impa stopped him. "Ah, sorry to disappoint you, boy, but for now your sword lacks the power necessary to awaken the gate. First, you and your sword must grow together," she said.

Link spoke up again. "Grow together? What do you mean?" he asked. I shook my head. _"Will you just let the woman talk without interrupting her, Link? I have other places I need to go to today," _I thought. Impa replied to Link. "Faron Woods…Eldin Volcano…and Lanayru Desert…A sacred flame is hidden somewhere in each of these lands. Seek them out, and purify your swords in their heat," she said. I noticed that she was speaking to the both of us when she said her last statement.

"Only after your blades have been tempered by these three fires will they be fully imbued with the great power for which you search. Clues to finding the sacred flames have been woven into the lyrics of a song precious to your people, Link: the Ballad of the Goddess. These clues are your best hope of finding your way to the flames. Return to Skyloft. Somewhere on your island is one whose knowledge of this old song will point you in the right direction," she said.

Link turned away from Impa, and stared at the Gate of Time. I could tell that he was in deep thought about the new set of obstacles we would have to overcome, as well as Zelda's current situation. After a few moments of silence, Groose walked up behind Link. Link noticed him, and turned around. "What do you want, Groose?" he asked. However, Groose just gave Link a smirk, and turned back around.

Groose addressed Impa, and started talking down on himself. "I hate even sayin' this, but I guess you got it all figured out, Grannie. Me, well, there's nothin' I can do to help Zelda. I'm useless," he said. Groose started to walk out the front door, but Impa spoke up to him. "Ah. You sell yourself short, my friend. You'll see in time that you have your own role to play in all this," she said.

However, Groose didn't respond to her, and walked out the front doors of the Sealed Temple. As soon as he was gone, Impa spoke to Link and I. "Link, Samuel, go now. Trust in fate to guide your feet. Your mission depends on it," she said. She turned to Link. "As does Zelda's fate," she said. Link gave a small nod, and Impa turned to me. "And Jack's fate as well," she finished.

I gave a small nod to Impa, and Link walked over to the nearby Bird Statue. He bowed his head, and started to pray. I knew he was still feeling down about Zelda, and I knew he was probably scared of the future. So, I tried to be polite, and let Link stay at the Bird Statue for as long as he needed to. After what seemed like forever, Link finished his prayer, and turned back to me.

"I'm sorry if I took a while; I just needed some time to think," he said. I nodded. "It's okay, Link. I understand how you feel. Don't worry; I promise that things won't get super complicated for a good bit, so you can be at ease for a while if you need to," I said. Link nodded. "Thanks," he said. He smiled for a second, and then spoke back up.

"Okay, so now we need to find someone in Skyloft who would know about the Ballad of the Goddess. I was thinking that maybe we could ask Headmaster Gaepora about it. I mean, he's probably the smartest person on the whole island," he said. I nodded. "That's actually exactly who we need to see, Link. So, if you're ready, I say let's go find him," I replied. Link nodded, and we walked out of the Sealed Temple.

Once we were outside, I saw Groose sulking about in front of the temple. "Awww, come on! I couldn't do a thing! I'm totally useless!" I heard him say. He looked ready to cry, so he ran out of sight so nobody could see him. For some reason, he didn't notice either of us come out of the temple. Link turned to me. "Do you think we should help him?" he asked.

I thought about Link's question. Deep down, I couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for Groose. I knew he didn't think he could help out with anything. But, as Impa mentioned, he was dead wrong. Groose would be helping Link and I out way more than he realized. Actually, he would completely turn over a new leaf by the end of the journey.

"_Maybe I _should_ try to calm him down before we leave," _I thought. I turned to Link, and answered him. "Maybe I should go alone, Link. I mean, he doesn't exactly like me, but it's obvious that he's worried about himself and Zelda; seeing you will probably just make things worse," I replied. Link thought for a moment, and shrugged. "Okay, then. I'll head back to Skyloft for now if you're sure you've got everything; meet up with me at the Knight Academy so we can talk with Headmaster Gaepora. Okay?" he asked.

I nodded, and Link turned around. He walked back to where the nearest Bird Statue was, and I walked in the opposite direction. I turned around a corner, and saw Groose facing a wall. He wasn't holding back his tears, and was banging the wall with his fist. I could hear him mumbling to himself. "I'm just deadweight. What kinda use is that to anyone…" he said. I walked up behind Groose, and tapped on his shoulder. "Hey, Groose. Is there something you need to talk about?" I asked.

Groose quickly stopped crying when he realized it was me. He wiped his tears on his sleeve, and turned around. "What do you want, pip-squeak?" he asked. I gave a small sigh. "Hey, listen. I know it seems like nothing is going your way right now, and that you feel like you're completely useless, but that's definitely not true, Groose. Sure, Link might be the one destined to save Zelda, but that doesn't mean you two can't still be friends," I said.

Groose gave another huff. "Don't play games with me. You don't think I know about how you're on the quest to save Zelda too? You're probably just trying to make me feel better so I'll get out of your and Link's way. I can't do anything right," he said. I shook my head. "That's not the case, Groose. Well, at least that's not the right reason. Yes, I'm trying to make you feel better about yourself, but it's not because I want you out of out of our way," I said.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not even interested in Zelda. Sure, she's pretty, but I know that Link's the one that's supposed to be with her. Plus, I'm actually not on the quest to save Zelda per se. Sure, I'm travelling with Link, and I'm helping him out, but I have my own problems to worry about right now. I have my own friend to save," I continued. Groose stared at me for a moment, and turned back around. "Even if you're not after Zelda, it doesn't change the fact that I can't do anything right," he mumbled.

I took a hold of Groose's shoulder, and spun him back around, which took a lot of effort. Then, I pulled my hand back, and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. I felt my hand fill with pain, but I didn't care. "For Hylia's sake, stop saying that, Groose! You're not useless! If you think you can't do anything to help out, then prove yourself wrong! You heard Grannie; that huge monster is going to be back soon, and I don't think next time's going to be as easy as this time was! We need a way to stop that thing in the pit if it ever escapes again, so why don't you work on a way to do that? In my opinion, that's definitely not being useless!" I shouted.

Groose rubbed his cheek, and stared off into the sky. His expression slowly turned from sad to doubtful to thoughtful to happy. He gave a smirk after a few seconds. "You know what? You're right, I can't just sit here and mope over everything! If it will help save Zelda, then I'll definitely help out; I'll stay here, and work on a way to keep that thing contained. When I'm done with it, it won't know what hit it!" he shouted. Groose gave a fist pump, and I smiled.

"There we go, Groose! That's the spirit I like to see! So, you'll work on a way to stop the monster for now, and I'll go with Link and do the next part of our journey. Trust me, you're actually helping Zelda out more than you can imagine if you find a way to stop that monster. And, don't worry, Groose; I'm sure you'll get your moment with Zelda. You just have to wait a little for it," I said.

Groose looked confused by my words. "What do you mean?" he asked. But, I just shook my head. "I can't say it exactly. It's actually not that important right now," I replied. I decided that now was the time to say my goodbye. "I'll see you later, Groose; I know you'll do the right thing," I said.

I didn't wait for a response from Groose, and turned away from him. Then, I pulled out my ocarina, and played the Prelude of Light. As soon as I finished the song, I thought of the Knight Academy. I was suddenly engulfed in a white light, and felt my feet leave the ground for a few seconds. When the light cleared, I found myself back in front of the Knight Academy.

I put my ocarina back in my pouch, and was about to walk into the Knight Academy when I heard a noise from above; the caw of a Loftwing. I looked upward, and saw Link speeding towards the Knight Academy. He flew straight over my head, and jumped off his Loftwing. He descended towards he ground, and pulled out his Sailcloth just before he hit it. Link gently floated to the ground, and landed right next to me.

When Link was safely on the ground, he tucked his Sailcloth back into his pouch, and turned to me. "Hey, Samuel. How was Groose? Did you manage to calm him down about Zelda?" he asked. I nodded, and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could say that I slapped some sense into him. He's definitely not mad about Zelda anymore, that's for sure; he even agreed to help us out later when we have to fight the Imprisoned again," I replied.

Link smiled. "Well, that sounds good," he said. He turned towards the Knight Academy, and then back to me. "Okay, then. Let's go see Headmaster Gaepora," he said. I nodded, and Link and I walked into the Knight Academy. Once we were inside, we headed for Gaepora's office. We walked up to his door, and I decided to knock, because it seemed proper. After a second, I heard Gaepora's voice. "Come in," he said.

I reached for the door handle, and turned it. I opened the door, and Link and I walked into Gaepora's office. Gaepora was standing near a bookshelf, and looked slightly surprised to see us. He gave a smile. "Well, you're back, boys! Good to see you two are still in one piece," he said. Link nodded. "It's good to see you too, sir," he replied.

Gaepora asked us about the current situation. "So, how's it going down there?" he asked. He turned to Link. "Are you any closer to finding my Zelda?" he asked. Link shook his head. "We've come close, but we haven't been able to rescue her yet. Some madman is chasing after her, and she had to escape, sir," he replied.

Gaepora nodded, and bowed his head. "Hmm…I see…My dear Zelda…Things must be terribly trying for her down there," he said. He picked his head back up. "And it can't be easy for you two either, can it?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, you can definitely say that. Actually, Gaepora, if you don't mind, we need your help with something," I answered.

Gaepora looked surprised. "You two need my help with something?" he asked. We nodded, and Gaepora went on. "Well, if I know what it is you're asking of me, then I'll gladly provide all of the information I have on the subject. So, what do you two need to know about?" he asked. Link thought for a moment. "We need to know the lyrics to the song that Zelda was singing at the Wing Ceremony. Apparently, they'll help us find some of the things we need to save her," he replied.

Gaepora was in deep thought for a moment. "What? You want to know the lyrics to the song Zelda sang on the day of the Wing Ceremony?" Gaepora repeated. We nodded, and Gaepora apparently had the wrong idea. "You know, I'm not much of a singer…" he said. I quickly shook my head. "Oh, no, Gaepora. We just need the lyrics to the song, that's all. You don't have to actually sing anything," I said.

Gaepora looked just as relieved as I was. "You just want the lyrics? Oh! What a relief. You two really put me on the spot there for a moment. I believe the lyrics go something like this…" he said. He paused for a second, and recited the first verse to the Ballad of the Goddess. "Oh, youths, guided by the servant of the goddess…unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land," he said.

I nodded, even though I knew that wasn't the crucial part of the song. "Is that it, or is there more?" I asked. Gaepora stared at me. "That's the first part, but as I recall, there's a second verse to the song," he replied. Gaepora continued reciting the lyrics. "Oh, youths, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower…and before you a path shall open, and a heavenly song you shall hear," he said.

Gaepora finished reciting the lyrics, and took a small breath. "I believe that's the whole thing," he said. Then, he turned back to us. "The Light Tower mentioned in the song is a real place; I'm sure you two have seen the tower in the plaza. I don't know a thing about two whirling sails though…It sounds like the song is suggesting that if one shows these whirling sails the way to the tower, something will happen?" he asked.

"But how do you go about doing that, and what does it mean? Two whirling sails. Hmm…" he said. Gaepora trailed off, and I turned to Link, who was in deep thought. After a minute, he turned to me, and spoke up. "So, we have to find these two sails that are near the Light Tower. If that's the case, then let's go looking for them," he said.

I nodded, and we said goodbye to Gaepora. Then, Link and I walked out of his office, headed for the front door, and walked out of the Knight Academy. Once we were outside, Link spoke up. "Okay, we need to find two "whirling sails"…and they should be near the Light Tower…So, let's head there first," he said.

I nodded, and we started across Skyloft. We passed by the Bazaar, and eventually made it over to the Light Tower. Once we were there, Link and I started looking around. Link eventually spotted one of the windmills we were supposed to be looking for, and gasped. "Samuel! I think I've got it!" he shouted. I turned to Link. "What is it?" I asked, acting like I didn't know what to do. Link smiled. "I think the "whirling sails" we have to find are the windmills! I remember now! There are two of them in Skyloft; I can't believe I didn't think of them sooner! I must have passed those things at least fifty times before!" he said.

I smiled. "Good job, Link. You're right; those windmills are what we're looking for," I said. Link nodded, and we headed over to the first windmill. When we arrived at the windmill, Link walked forward, and examined it. He noticed a pinwheel in the middle, not unlike the ones in Lanayru Mining Facility. "Aha! I was right," he said. Link took out his Gust Bellows, and started blowing wind at the pinwheel.

As Link spun the pinwheel more and more, the windmill started turning to the left. "How far do I have to turn this thing?" he asked. I walked over to the right of the windmill, and faced the Light Tower. "Okay, Link…Stop right...about…now!" I said. Link pulled his Gust Bellows away from the windmill, and it stopped moving. The windmill lined up perfectly with the Light tower, clicked into place, and a small blue light lit up on it.

Link smiled, and looked at his work. "Well, that's one down. Follow me, Samuel; for once, I actually know where something is," he said. I gave a small chuckle, and followed Link across Skyloft. We crossed a bridge, and cut through some houses until we came to the other windmill. When we got there, Link took out his Gust Bellows again, but I stopped him.

"Don't waste your time, Link. Take a closer look; the pinwheel isn't there," I said. "What?" Link replied. He put his Gust Bellows down, and took a closer look at the windmill. When he saw that the pinwheel was missing, his face fell. "For Hylia's sake! You're kidding me! Now what do we do?" he asked. However, Jackamar was standing near us, and picked up on our conversation.

"Hey, Link! So, you're curious about that windmill, eh?" he asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, Jackamar. Can you tell us more about it?" he asked. Jackamar nodded. "That windmill's got a pretty smart design. See, you can turn the windmill so that it can always catch the wind no matter which way it's blowing," he said.

Link nodded, trying to keep interest. "That's pretty interesting. Actually, the windmill looks like it's broken. What happened to it?" he asked. Jackamar stared at the windmill for a second, and eventually responded back. "Well, there used to be this little propeller attached to the windmill so you could turn it. But, the thing flew off ages ago. It must have dropped down off the edge, down beneath the clouds. The windmill's been uselessly sitting here ever since," he replied.

Link nodded, and Fi decided to come out of his sword. "I highly suggest you retrieve the windmill propeller from the land below to reorient the windmill," she said. We nodded, and Fi went back into Link's sword. After she was gone, I turned to Jackamar. "Hey, Jackamar. If we managed to find that little propeller, could you fix the windmill for us?" I asked.

Jackamar was in thought for a second. "You wanna know if I could fix the windmill if you brought back the propeller?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. Could you?" I asked. Jackamar thought again. "Well, if I had the propeller, I could probably rig something together to get it back on there, sure…But how would you go even looking for the propeller in the first place? Once something falls through the clouds, it's gone for good," he replied.

Jackamar suddenly stopped. "Hang on. Come to think of it, Gondo at the Scrap Shop told me that someone in his family once used a flying robot to haul junk back from beneath the clouds. But we're talking about a tale that's been passed down over a lot of years, so I wouldn't put much stock in it," he said. I chuckled. _"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," _I thought.

Jackamar didn't have anything else to say, so Link turned to me. "Well, let's go see Gondo, I guess," he said. I nodded, and we walked away from the windmill. Link and I headed back over to the Bazaar, and walked inside. Once were inside, we walked over to the Scrap Shop. Gondo was standing there, tinkering with some kind of metal contraption.

When Gondo noticed the two of us, he picked his head up. "Hey, kids! What's up? You guys look like you need to get something off your chest…I think I know what it is. You've got a favor to ask me, right?" he said. I nodded. "Yeah," I replied. I pointed to Scrapper, who was completely inactive. "It's actually about that robot. Didn't your grandpa used to work on it or something?" I added.

Gondo looked surprised when he saw me pointing to Scrapper. "Huh? It's about this old robot my grandpa used to tinker around with?" he asked. Link nodded, but Gondo obviously had the wrong idea. "You two probably just came here to make fun of the crazy junk guy for believing in his grandpa's stupid stories, right? Well, get in line…I've heard it before," he said.

I tried to sound nice when I answered Gondo. "Gondo, we're not here to make fun of you," I said. Gondo raised his eyebrow. "Wait…that's not why you're here?" he asked. I shook my head. "No, that's not why we're here; we're here because we heard that that robot can pick things up from beneath the surface. If you'll lend it to us, we'd be really grateful," I said. Gondo stared at me for a second, completely speechless. Then, he spoke back up.

"You say you two need to pick up something from below the clouds with this robot?" he asked. We nodded, and Gondo went on. "Do you know what that means?! That means…you two believe in my grandpa's stories too, don't you?!" he asked. Link and I nodded again, and Gondo suddenly looked sad about something.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that someone else believes me, but I don't think I can help you. You see, my grandpa's old robot…what's it called again…" he started. Gondo trailed off, and turned to look at Scrapper. "Oh, hey, that's right! I remember! His name is Scrapper. He may not be much to look at these days, but he was an amazing robot once! When you called him, he would go anywhere and haul anything!" he said.

Gondo turned back to us. "Sadly, as you can see now…he's just another busted ol' hunk of junk…" he said. Link looked confused. "So, now what? Is there any way to fix this thing?" he asked. Gondo nodded. "Old Gramps did tell me that you can get him working again with the extract from an Ancient Flower, but I've never heard of, much less seen, any such thing!" he replied.

Link gasped. "I think I know what you're talking about, Gondo! Hold on, let me just check here…" he said. Link opened his pouch, and looked inside. After a few seconds, I heard him curse under his breath. "Damn," he muttered. Link looked back up form his pouch, and turned to me. "I swear I've seen one of those Ancient Flowers somewhere! Aren't they in Lanayru Desert?" he asked.

I nodded, and opened my pouch. "Yeah, they're there, Link. If you don't have one, let me check for a second…" I replied. I looked inside my pouch, and eventually spotted an Ancient Flower. I reached inside, and pulled it out. "Aha! Here it is," I said. I turned to Gondo. "Here you go, Gondo," I said. Gondo started freaking out. "WHAT?! You have one?! Are you kiddin' me?! That's amazing!" he said.

I handed Gondo the Ancient Flower, and he started examining it. "So this is an Ancient Flower? I can feel slick, oily stuff coming out of its stem! Great, with this we can fix Scrapper! Wait right here! I'll have him up and running in no time!" he said. Gondo pulled Scrapper in front of him, and started to fix him. It took a while, but Gondo eventually finished the job.

Gondo cracked his neck, and gave a sigh of relief. "Phew! There you go!" he said. Link, Gondo, and I all looked down at Scrapper, who suddenly booted up. He picked himself up off the desk, and started flying around the Scrap Shop. After a couple of laps, he flew back to Gondo, and started to thank him. "Thank you, bzzrt! I've got a full tank of energy, and I'm ready to carry anything, zzzzt!" he said.

Scrapper suddenly noticed Link and I standing there, and gave a beep of confusion. "Huh? Who are these green-clad individuals of small stature?" he asked. I suddenly became offended. _"Small? Are you kidding me? Have you looked at yourself? I'm taller than you, you stupid robot!" _I thought. Gondo gave a shout of joy, and responded. "WHOA! It talked! Can you believe that? I guess I really did fix him!" he said.

Gondo turned to Scrapper, and pointed to me. "This kid gave me the materials I needed to fix you. Go on! Say thank you!" he said. Scrapper, however, didn't believe him. "…Hmmm. Are you sure it was him, grrzt?" he asked. Gondo gave a small nod, and Scrapper continued. "Well then, I extend my reluctant thanks to you in a gesture of obligatory gratitude, vrrrrrrt-CHONK," he replied.

Gondo obviously wasn't pleased with Scrapper. "Heyyyy now! Watch it! That's no way to talk to someone who just saved your life! Anyway, these kids want you to haul some stuff around, and you're going to help them!" he said. Scrapper turned to Link and I again. "Hmmph. These individuals may have restored my operations, but I am not inclined of offer assistance, zrrt. Serving children is very low in my task of priority, dzzt!" he said.

I was about to open my mouth and give Scrapper a piece of my mind, but Fi suddenly decided to come out of Link's sword, and I stopped. _"Oh, man. This'll be good," _I thought. I completely forgot about the connection Scrapper had with Fi. Or, at least, the connection he _thought_ he had. Fi spoke up, interrupting my thoughts.

"Masters Link and Samuel, materials from the windmill have yielded a signal that you may search for with your dowsing abilities. Use them to locate the fallen propeller," she said. Fi paused for a moment, and continued. "However, it will not be possible to carry the item in your pouches and return to the sky," she added.

I stared at Fi for a moment, and then back at Scrapper. Scrapper was staring at Fi with a look of joy on his face, if that was even possible. "Who are you, zrrpt-foosh?" he asked. Link spoke up. "Her name is Fi," he replied. Scrapper continued staring at Fi. "Your name is…Fi? Should I call you Mistress Fi? Are you looking for something, Mistress Fi?" he asked.

I almost burst out laughing at Scrapper, but I managed to hold it in. I turned to Link, and noticed that he looked exactly the same as I did; he looked like he wasn't going to be holding his laughter in much longer, either. I turned away from him, and looked back to Fi and Scrapper. Scrapper looked like he had his mind made up. "I…I understand, vrrt! At your request, I will carry anything, regardless of weight or destination, whizzt!" he said.

Fi stared at Scrapper for a few seconds, and remained silent. Then, before it became even more awkward, she quickly turned back to Link and I, and addressed the situation. "We now have the means to bring the propeller back to Skyloft. You may immediately begin your search for the Windmill Propeller," she said. She flew back into Link's sword, and we turned back to Scrapper.

Scrapper did a little spin in the air, and addressed me. "Master Shortpants!" he said. I facepalmed. _"Oh, no. You're kidding me. He's seriously going to call me that? What happened to Link, did he suddenly fade out of existence?" _I thought. Scrapper went on. "I offer assistance! I can now detect Mistriss Fi's thought waves, vrrt!" he said.

I picked my head out of my palm, and responded. "Well, that's nice," I muttered. Scrapper continued explaining. "Should you need me, ask Mistriss Fi to call me, and I will arrive with haste, bzzat!" he said. Scrapper finished speaking, and Gondo spoke up. He told us about Sparrot, but I didn't listen to his words. When he finished, Link turned to me. "You went to that fortune-teller earlier today, Samuel. Were you asking him about Jack?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah," I replied. Link looked at Sparrot for a moment. "Well, I'm guessing he's the real deal? He's not a scam or anything like that, is he?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, Link. Sparrot's a nice guy, even if he's kind of weird. His predictions are spot on, even if they're cryptic," I said. I took a small breath, and continued. "Even though it would be the nice thing to do to go and see him, I'm going to have to pass on him right now. I already know where the propeller is, and I honestly don't want to waste any more time or money. Let's just go and find it now," I said.

Link nodded, and gave a small smirk. "Okay, whatever you say...Master Shortpants," he said with a small chuckle. I tried to slap him across the face, but he dodged it, and smiled even more. "What? You don't like your new name?" he asked. I knew Link was just trying to get me riled up, so I calmed myself down before I did something completely stupid.

"Well, no, not really. I think it's a stupid name. Actually, you're lucky that you didn't have an Ancient Flower on you, Link. Because if you did, then that would be _your_ name!" I said back. Link laughed, and responded. "Yeah, I guess I am lucky," he said. After a few moments, Link got back to business. "Okay, if you already know where the propeller is, then let's go find it," he said. I nodded. "Okay. Let's go," I replied. Link turned away from me, and I followed him out of the Bazaar.

**Well, that's it! Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! If you've got any questions(or anything like that), or if you just want to say that this fic is awesome, then leave a review. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, so I'll see you all then! Okay, bye! :D**


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter 33! It will be in Samuel's POV, and will continue with the propeller quest. It'll go through the rest of that, and cover the Isle of Songs as well. As always, thanks to Bezerker21, TheSunsetWolf, ToonLink, and PhantasmicFire323 for reviewing! So, thanks, you guys! **

**Also, I'd like to once again thank PhantasmicFire323 for helping me beta read this chapter! Thanks! :D So, remember: if anything in this chapter is half decent, it was probably her work. Lol. ;) No, but really, thank you soooooo very much for helping me out like this. You're a big help, and I couldn't ask for anything more. So, once again, thanks!**

**Also, because I can't think of anything else interesting to put in this Author's Note, I'm going to answer some questions that were in the reviews from last chapter. So here goes: ToonLink, yes, Samuel **_**really **_**likes to go slap-happy on people. It's his thing. ;) And, to Bezerker21, no, I haven't been able to play Kingdom Hearts yet, even though I used to have a PS2. I might have to buy one again just to get caught up on the series, because I hear it's awesome. And for that reason, if I do a sequel for this story, it probably won't be about KH, because I haven't played it yet. :/ Sorry. Although, I do have some other ideas for a sequel, so we'll see how it goes. ;)**

**Anyway, now that I'm done with that, here's Chapter 33! Enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Is She Going To Be Doing This More Often?**

(Samuel's POV)

Once Link and I were out of the bazaar, we headed for the nearest diving platform. We ran to the edge, dove off of it, and started falling. I whistled for Zelda's Loftwing, and Link whistled for his. After a few seconds, they appeared beneath us, and we landed on them. I turned to Link, and spoke up. "Head for Eldin Volcano, Link! That's where the pinwheel is!" I called.

Link nodded, and did a U-turn on his Loftwing. I copied him, and turned myself around. Once Link and I were facing the red column of light, we gave our Loftwings a small kick, and sped off towards it. We passed over the Statue of the Goddess, and eventually arrived at the column of light. "Where is the propeller at, Samuel?" Link asked as we circled above the column.

I looked to him. "Follow me, Link. It's right near the Earth Temple," I replied. Link nodded, and I jumped off of my Loftwing. A second later, he followed me, and we began descending toward the surface. We eventually passed the cloud barrier, and I could feel it start to get hot again; sweat started forming on my head and neck. "_Well, at least Link and I will only be here for a few minutes_," I told myself.

I spotted the Earth Temple, and piloted my body toward it. Link followed me, and we continued falling to the ground. Eventually, we pulled out our Sailcloths, and gently floated to the ground in front of the temple. Once we were safely on the ground, we put our Sailcloths back into our pouches, and I glanced at Link. "Follow me, Link. The pinwheel is right over there," I said, gesturing to my right. Link nodded, and we headed off in that direction.

We eventually came to the top of a slope, and I could see the small tower that I'd blown up earlier while looking for the key pieces. To the right of the tower, I could see the pinwheel lying on the ground. Link spotted it, and jumped onto the slope; he slid down it, and I followed him. Once we were at the bottom of the slope, we stood back up, and walked over to the pinwheel.

We stared at the pinwheel for a few seconds before Fi came out of Link's sword to speak with us. "This is the Windmill Propeller you were searching for. It is now possible to retrieve this using the robot whose services we have enlisted. Would you like me to call the robot?" she asked. I nodded. "Yeah, go ahead," I replied.

Fi nodded back. "I will send word to the robot using telepathic communication, Master," she replied. Fi looked off towards the sky, and Link and I copied her. The three of us continued staring at the sky for a few moments. After about twenty seconds, I saw a small dot appear in the sky. It kept getting bigger and bigger until I could make it out completely. Scrapper continued flying towards us, and eventually joined up with our trio.

As soon as Scrapper arrived, he turned to face Fi. "Mistress Fi! I hope you weren't waiting long, bzzzt! So, zrrrbt, you want me to carry this?" he asked rhetorically. He tried to fly down to get the pinwheel, but he suddenly stopped after making it halfway. He turned to me. "Hey, Master Shortpants! You're in my way, zrrpt! I said, get out of the way, vrrrrrrt!" he shouted. I scoffed. "_Now, that's a load of crap, and you know it. I'm not even close to being in your way. Trust me, if I was able to lift this thing myself, I wouldn't even bother with you, so why don't you just shut up and take the freaking pinwheel?!_" I thought.

I was honestly hoping that Scrapper could hear my thoughts when I said that. However, I guess he couldn't, because he soon grabbed hold of the pinwheel, and hovered in the air for a moment. "I'll be waiting for you two up in the sky, so don't take too long, vrrrt!" he said. I waved goodbye to him. "Bye, Scrapper! Hope to see you soon!" I said sarcastically. Scrapper didn't reply, and hovered away from us. He eventually disappeared, and Fi turned back to Link and I.

"Masters, I suggest that we return to the sky and collect the propeller as soon as possible," she said. She flew back into Link's sword, and Link turned to me. "Okay, let's head back to Skyloft, I guess," he said. I nodded, and we dashed back up the slope. We hurried back to the Bird Statue, and took our Sailcloths out; Link and I bowed our heads, and started to pray.

After a few seconds, a wind started blowing beneath us. It caught on our Sailcloths, and we were sent back into the sky. Link and I called our Loftwings again, and we headed back towards Skyloft. As we hurtled towards the island, I took a quick look behind me and noticed Scrapper flying right behind us. I turned away from him, continuing to concentrate on flying Zelda's Loftwing.

Eventually, Link and I passed over Skyloft. We flew over the windmill, dove off our birds, and descended towards the ground. Once again, we pulled out our Sailcloths, and safely landed on the ground. Scrapper followed close behind, and dropped the pinwheel on the ground. "Here's that windmill propeller, zzzazt! If you need me…zzrboosh-CLANG…feel free to call! For Mistress Fi, I will travel to any destination, ker-dizzzt!" he said.

Scrapper turned away from us, and flew back to the Scrap Shop. After he was gone, Jackamar spoke up. "Whoa! Isn't that…the beat-up old robot from Gondo's place?!" he asked. He then noticed the pinwheel sitting in front of him. "Wait just a second…Is that…" he started. I quickly cut him off. "Here you go, Jackamar. This is what we need to fix the windmill," I gestured to the propeller.

Jackamar gave a small gasp. "It is! That's the windmill propeller! That thing was supposed to have fallen down below the clouds! Are you saying that whole story handed down through Gondo's family was actually true?" he asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, it turns out that it actually was true. So, can you fix this thing now?" he asked, pointing to the windmill.

Jackamar looked suspicious. "Hmm…Somehow I get the feeling this is all some elaborate prank, but I guess I'll try to fix this thing…" he said. Jackamar bent over, and tried to pick up the pinwheel - however, he couldn't do it by himself, so he turned to Link and I. "Give me a hand with this," he said. We nodded, walked over to the pinwheel, and grabbed some of the edges, preparing to lift it.

On the count of three, the three of us managed to lift up the pinwheel, and carry it over to the windmill. We hung it up on the spot where it was supposed to go, but it was still broken, so Jackamar went to work on it. He continued working on it for about five minutes straight. "This goes in here…And I just crank that a few clicks…" I heard him mutter to himself.

Eventually, Jackamar gave the pinwheel a final few hits with his hammer, and sighed. "Phew! That ought to do it! If you can find some way to spin the propeller, you can probably turn the windmill around," he said. Link nodded. "Thanks a bunch, Jackamar," he replied. Jackamar was going to reply back to Link, but he was interrupted by someone. "Honeeeeey! Honeeeey?" a voice said.

Jackamar gave a shout of surprise. "Oh no! I think I might've promised my wife I'd fix our cupboard! I swear that woman's always looking for somebody. See you around, boys!" he said. Jackamar hurried away from us, and we remained silent for a moment. After a few seconds, I broke the silence.

"Well, let's finally turn this thing the right way," I said. Link nodded, and took out his Gust Bellows. I got on the other side of the windmill, and waited for Link to start blowing. He pushed the button on his Gust Bellows, and blew wind at the pinwheel. As more and more air turned the pinwheel, the windmill itself started rotating clockwise. Eventually, it turned around, and began to face the Light Tower.

"Okay, Link. Stop… Now!" I said. Link quickly pulled his Gust Bellows away, and the windmill stopped facing the Light Tower. It clicked into place, and another blue light lit up on it. Link and I both gazed at the Light Tower, and watched as the center of it rose up, revealing a spot for Link to play his harp, and what looked like a mirror.

When Link saw what he had done, he smiled. He stared at the Light Tower for another second, and turned to me. "Well, let's head over there," he said. I nodded, and started walking towards the Light Tower. Link followed me as we walked back across Skyloft. We eventually came to the Light Tower, and climbed the two ladders to the top. When we reached the top of the tower, Link looked around the small clearing.

He stared at the mirror for a second, and noticed a small sign to the left of it. He strode over to it, and started to read it out loud. "Let sound the goddess's song beneath the light's radiance. Unto her chosen heroes shall fall a piercing ray of guidance," he half mumbled. Turning away from the sign, he stared at the hole in the ceiling. He then reached into his pouch, and pulled out his harp.

"So, now all I have to do is play the Ballad of the Goddess?" he asked. I nodded, and Link scoffed. "It can't be that easy," he objected. I smiled, and pulled out my ocarina. "Actually, Link, it is that easy. You just need to play the Ballad of the Goddess, and we can continue on with our adventure," I said. I raised my ocarina to my mouth, and held it there, ready to play. "Even though I don't need to do it, I'll play along with you," I offered.

Link nodded. "Yeah, okay. Thanks," he gave a faint smile. Link turned to the center of the tower, and started playing a few random notes, warming up. I played a quick scale, and we were ready to go. When we decided we were done practicing, a golden crest lit up in the middle of the tower. Fi came out of Link's sword, and hovered on the other side of the tower. After a moment of silence, a rainbow circle appeared, and it started pulsing. Link played the first few notes of the Ballad of the Goddess, and I joined in on my ocarina. Plus, Fi even copied us, and sang the first four notes of the song along with us.

As Link, Fi, and I repeated the four notes, small cones of light shot up around the Light Tower. Eventually, they made a complete circle, and we started playing the song in its entirety. Link strummed his harp back and forth, I played the melody, and Fi continued singing the melody along with me. I'll say one thing right now: it sounded awesome, in my opinion.

We repeated the main verse of the Ballad of the Goddess twice, and as soon as we stopped, I saw the Light Tower begin to rotate. The mirror did a 180-degree turn, and stopped in front of the light that was coming in from the ceiling. The light reflected off of the mirror, and it shot out towards the Thunderhead. The beam of light traveled in a straight line, and pierced through the Thunderhead, creating a small hole to fly through.

Link put his harp away, and I put my ocarina back in my pouch. After a moment, Fi spoke up. "Masters, there is a high probability that this beam of light will lead us to clues as to the whereabouts of the three flames. I recommend that you investigate what lies at the end of this beam of light," she said. Link nodded. "We will, Fi. Thanks," he said. Fi gave a small nod, and went back into Link's sword.

After Fi was gone, Link turned to me. "Well, I guess it really was that easy. Let's go follow the light, Samuel," he said. I nodded, and ran to the edge of the Light Tower. I dove off the tower, and Link followed me. We fell for a moment, and then whistled for our Loftwings again. They caught us after a few more seconds, and we sped off towards the Thunderhead, following the newly-created beam of light.

On our way there, a small tornado suddenly sprang up out of nowhere. Luckily, Link and I managed to pull away from it, and we continued forward. After a minute or two, we crossed through the small entrance, and entered the Thunderhead. I started looking around, and followed the beam of light. At the end of the beam, I could barely see the Isle of Songs floating in the distance.

I kept looking around, and spotted some Skytails flying awfully close to us. They came close to me a few times, but I made Zelda's Loftwing charge away from them before they got me. Link looked over his shoulder, and spotted the Skytails. "What are those?" he asked. I responded to him after a few seconds. "Those are Skytails, Link. Just charge away from them if they get too close, and you'll be fine," I replied.

Link nodded, and turned back to the beam of light. Another Skytail came close to me, so I charged away from it again, and sped off towards the Isle of Songs. Link followed me, and we eventually passed over the main part of the Isle. Link and I dove off our Loftwings, and pulled out our Sailcloths just before we hit the ground. I put my Sailcloth back in my pouch, and glanced around at the place we landed in.

The Isle of Songs looked completely run down; I could see ivy growing everywhere on the main tower. Yet, even though it looked weird, it had a mysterious quality to it that I just couldn't point out. I listened closely, and I thought I could hear harps playing in the distance. I looked around the platform that Link and I were standing on, and took in more details. I could see the three sections of bridge scattered on the outside of the platform, waiting to be put back together.

I looked around some more, and spotted the main elements of the puzzle we would have to solve. I could see the pedestal in the center that we would have to push multiple times. I could see small stone squares poking out of the ground that represented the parts of the bridge. I could see one or two stone walls standing upright, blocking the squares from moving forward. Plus, I could see a 3x3 grid with crystals in it, one green and two blue, that would control which walls stayed up, and which stayed down.

Link looked confused. "Where are we?" he mused. I turned to him, and was going to respond. However, before I could, Fi came out of Link's sword to talk with us. "Masters, I have memories of this island. It is known as the Isle of Songs. Signs indicate that it was left here for you by the goddess, Masters. However, I am unable to determine a means of entering the structure ahead. I suggest you investigate the area," she said. She flew back into Link's sword, and he spoke back up.

"Well, I guess that answers my question. Anything to add, Samuel?" he asked. I shook my head. "No, not much. Fi already said everything I was going to say. We need a way to get into the tower, and there's a puzzle that we have to solve to get in," I replied. I pointed to another nearby sign, and Link turned to it. He walked over to it, and read it aloud to himself. "Rotate the center pedestal to complete the bridge that allows you to step to the great tower on the Isle of Songs," he muttered.

After Link read the sign, he turned to the pedestal, which was on his left. "Well, that doesn't seem too hard," he said. He looked around, and noticed the sections of bridge scattered around the Isle. "So, all we have to do is get these bridges to line up?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, but that's easier said than done," I warned.

I remembered coming here for the first time, during my first play-through of Skyward Sword. At first, I honestly didn't know how to do the puzzle. At all. It took me a good half hour or so to get it right, and that was just trial and error. Now that I've played the game multiple times, I had a solution memorized. I don't know if my solution was the fastest way to solve the puzzle, but it got the job done, and pretty fast to boot.

I remembered my solution like this: 7, right, 6, middle, 1, right, 9. The numbers represented how many times the center pedestal was rotated, and the rest of it referred to the crystal switches. So, all we had to do was rotate the pedestal 7 times, hit the right crystal, rotate the pedestal 6 times, hit the middle crystal, and so on, for a total of 23 rotations. Link turned to me and spoke up, interrupting my thoughts.

"It's easier said than done, you say? Actually, it seems pretty easy from where I'm standing," he said. I smiled. "Is that a challenge I hear, Link?" I asked. Link nodded back. "Yeah, it is, actually. Do you think you can handle losing again, Samuel?" he taunted. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can handle it, Link," I replied sarcastically.

Link smiled again. "Okay, then. How many Rupees do you want to bet this time?" he asked. I thought for a moment, and shook my head. "No Rupees this time, Link. All I want is to see the look of defeat on your face when you lose. This'll just be for bragging rights," I replied. Link chuckled. "Okay, you're on. Bragging rights it is. So, what are the rules?" he asked.

I pondered for a moment. Obviously, it was a given that Link would have to solve the puzzle, but what could I add to up the difficulty… A time limit? "_No, Samuel. You already did that in Lanayru,_" I told myself. I thought for a second, and came up with an answer. I smiled, and turned back to Link. "Okay, Link. Here's the challenge. You have to solve the puzzle, and put the bridge together. But, you have to do it in a certain number of moves," I said.

Link nodded. "Okay. How many moves?" he asked. I thought for another second. "Well, I can do this in twenty-three moves, so I'll give you…eighty-six, I guess, because I'm nice. That's almost four times as many moves," I replied. Link's face scrunched up in a frown. "Why'd you choose that specific number?" he asked. I grinned, and explained to Link the reason I had chosen that number. "Well, the first Legend of Zelda game was released in the year 1986 in a country called Japan, so I just took the first two digits off of the year. After all, I'm pretty sure you'd be able to solve this thing if you had one thousand nine hundred-"

"Okay, Samuel, I get it. I have eighty-six moves to line up the pieces of the bridge, and solve this. Anything to add?" Link asked quickly, interrupting me. I shook my head. "No, that's it. You can go ahead and start," I replied. Link nodded, and turned to the pedestal. He gave it a push, and one of the stone squares moved clockwise. "One," I said.

Link backed up from the pedestal, and looked at the other platforms. "Why didn't they move?" he asked himself. He walked away from the pedestal, and walked over to the crystals. He turned to me. "What do these do?" he asked. I shrugged in reply. "Find out for yourself," I grinned.

Link turned away from me, and looked at the crystals again. Instinctively, he pulled out his sword. He struck at one of the blue crystals, and it turned green. The green crystal from before had turned blue again, and some walls sunk into the ground. However, different ones rose up to take their place. Link looked around at the walls, and noticed what he had done. "Okay, I think I get it now," he said. Link walked back to the pedestal, and continued pushing. "Two, three, four, five…"

"…Fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty," I said. Link laid his hands on the pedestal, stopped pushing, and looked around at his work, breathing heavily. So far, he had managed to line up two of the sections of the bridge. Link thought he had it at around the forty-push mark, but he messed up, and had to restart from scratch.

I actually kind of felt like a jerk for making Link push the pedestal all by himself, but he wasn't complaining, so I wasn't, either. Link took a few more deep breaths, and looked up at me. "How many was that?" he asked. "Sixty," I replied. Link looked around at the pedestals and walls again, and smiled. "Well, at least I'm almost there," he said.

He turned back to face the pedestal, and continued pushing. "Sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three, sixty-four, sixty-five, sixty-six, sixty-seven," I counted. Link walked over to the crystals, and changed the walls around again. Then, he went back to the pedestal. "Sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two, seventy-three, seventy-four," I continued.

Link looked up from the pedestal, and smiled. "I…I think I've got it," he breathed out. He started looking around the Isle again, muttering to himself. I looked around, too, and noticed that he was getting closer; Link had managed to stop the middle platform from moving, and was ready to line it up with the other ones. However, the other two platforms were just past it, right behind the entrance. So, Link would have to make a full circle first.

Link continued pushing the pedestal, and moved the platforms forward. "Seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine," I said. The two platforms moved forward, and lined up with the middle platform. Link stopped pushing, and looked up. He walked over to the crystals, and hit one with his sword. The middle blockade was taken down, and all three sections of bridge had a clear shot to the entrance.

I could see another blockade in front of the entrance, but that wouldn't matter now; Link could take it down just before the platforms arrived there. When Link realized what he had just done, he smiled. "Well, I think that's it. I think you've just realized it too, Samuel. Do you just want to stop counting right now and concede, or should I keep going?" he inquired with a confident, and somewhat arrogant, look.

I looked around the Isle one last time. I stared at the platforms again, and confirmed what I had seen before; Link had a clear shot to the entrance, and there was nothing I could do about it. "Well, maybe you've got me again, Link. But you can keep going, I guess, because we still need those platforms in the right place if we want to advance," I replied calmly.

Link smiled, and walked back to the pedestal. "Okay, then. So, you're giving up?" he asked. I shook my head. "Nope. I'll take the loss like a man," I replied. Link smiled. "Okay. It's your funeral," he said. He started pushing the pedestal, and counted as he went. "Eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three, eighty-four, eight-wait a minute," he stopped.

Link looked up from the pedestal, and stared at the platforms. He gasped. I looked over at the platforms as well, and I felt my jaw drop when I saw where the platforms were at; they were at a nine-o-clock position, three moves away from the entrance. When I saw that, I couldn't help it. I started laughing my butt off, and fell to my knees.

Link walked away from the pedestal, and got a closer look. "No…It can't be…I'm one move short?" he said in disbelief. I continued laughing on the ground, and eventually looked up at Link. "Well, it certainly seems that way, doesn't it?" I asked, mocking Link. Link turned back to me, and I fell over laughing again. The expression that Link had on his face was similar to when he got a Rupoor; he wore a huge frown, but it wasn't exactly the same.

I eventually stood back up from my laughter, and strolled over to the pedestal. "Well, I'll say this, Link; you certainly did better than me. If it makes you feel any better, then I'll admit that it probably took me way more than eighty-seven moves to solve this my first time. You actually only took about fifteen minutes to solve it; it took me about a half hour," I said.

Link's frown disappeared, and he gave a small smile. "Well, I guess that makes me feel slightly better. But seriously, though. One move. You can't get any closer than that, can you?" he asked. I shook my head, and pointed to the crystals. "Can you hit the one on the right?" I asked. Link nodded, and took out his sword. He slashed at the crystal, and the final blockade was taken down. I pushed with all of my strength, and managed to heave the pedestal forward.

The platforms moved clockwise one more time, and the complete bridge stopped in front of the entrance. At the end of the bridge, I could see a small hole that Link and I could crawl through. Link stared at the end of the bridge for a second. Then, he turned to me. "Okay, then. Let's go inside," he said. I nodded, and we made our way across the bridge. When we came to the small hole, Link bent over, and crawled inside. I kneeled down, crawled inside the hole, and followed him.

Link and I crawled out from the hole, and were standing near a Bird Statue. We decided to say a quick prayer at it, and stopped there for a second. After we were done, we turned around to see a crest that was very far away. We strode over to the crest, and Link took out his sword. Then, he held it up, charged a Skyward Strike, and swung it at the crest. When Link's strike hit the crest, it spun around and turned blue.

The crest eventually came to a stop, and it gave off a small light. After a few seconds, a light shone down from the ceiling, and a statue of Hylia slowly rose up from out of nowhere. Its mouth was opening and closing as a sound like a voice emitted from it. It was singing what sounded like Farore's Courage. The statue clicked into place, and Link had a look of shock on his face. "What's happening?" he asked.

I was going to answer him, but again, Fi suddenly came out of his sword. She hovered to the right of the statue, and a small spotlight shone down on her. "Masters Link and Samuel, I have important information," she said. After a moment of silence, I spoke up. "What is it, Fi?" I asked. Fi turned to me, and responded. "When Link struck the crest with a Skyward Strike from his sword, a message from the goddess awakened deep within my memory. The goddess intended this message for you, Masters. These are her words," she began.

Fi lifted up one of her legs like a ballet dancer, and started to tell us the message. "Those who seek the sacred flames, listen well, for I guide you both from my place at the edge of time," she said. Fi went into another pose, and continued. "The sacred flames are three in number. To obtain them, you must also earn relics known as the three sacred gifts. For each trial you overcome, you shall be blessed with one of the gifts…" she said.

Fi did a small jump, and started doing a pirouette. As she spun around, she continued telling Link and I the message. "Make use of the power of these gifts, and you will find your way to the sacred flames," she said. Link glanced at me. "Is she going to be doing this more often? I could handle her doing it once or twice, but this is getting ridiculous," he muttered to me.

I gave a small chuckle, and nodded. "Yeah, Link. It'll only get worse from here on out," I whispered in reply. Link scoffed, and turned back to Fi, who was still doing her pirouette. "That's great," he muttered. After Link was done, Fi spoke back up. "Now, I bestow unto you both a melody. It will serve you both as a key, opening the first trial that awaits you in the wilds of Faron Woods," she said.

I saw a spotlight shine down on the both of us, and I knew what was going to happen next. So, I took my ocarina back out of my pouch, and held it up to my mouth, ready to play it again. Link caught my drift, and reached into his pouch as well. He pulled out his harp, and held it in his hands. "Okay, now what? How are we supposed to learn this song?" he asked.

I smiled, "Just do what feels natural, Link." Link had a confused expression on his face. "Um, okay. That didn't sound weird at all," he said sarcastically. I didn't reply, and waited for the music to start. When it did, I blew into my ocarina, and started playing Farore's Courage, which I had memorized. Link started playing his harp, and, as if by magic, he played the song as if he had spent his entire life rehearsing it.

As Link and I played the song together, I saw Fi fly around the entire room, leaving a green trail of sparkling light behind her. I almost burst out laughing when I saw her do a pirouette up the sides of the wall, but I resisted the urge, and continued playing. After a few more bars of the song, Fi suddenly circled upward, and flew to the top of the room. When she reached the top, she exploded into a huge flash of green light.

I looked upward, and watched as the tower was obscured by a vision of a blue sky. I could still see Link and his harp, but that's all that remained the same. I looked downward, and noticed that we were floating in midair. Or, at least it seemed that way. Link and I kept playing the song perfectly, and started looking around. We could see nothing but clouds and the sky, and it was just plain beautiful.

After a few seconds, I saw Loftwings of all different colors start to fly around Link and I, adding to the beauty of the vision. After a few more seconds of playing music and staring in wonder, the song ended abruptly, and the vision disappeared. Link and I were standing in the tower of the Isle of Songs again, and Link held his harp in his hands, amazed at what we had just done.

I lowered my ocarina, and smiled. As I looked around, tiny sparkles of light floated down to the ground, and Fi's voice sounded in my head. "This song is called Farore's Courage. Its rousing melody will guide you," she said. Fi then suddenly materialized from the ceiling, and floated down in front of us. "Masters, you must overcome the trials set before you and obtain the three gifts to reach the sacred flames. I have committed Farore's Courage to memory. Now you can use your dowsing abilities to search for the gate leading to the first trial you both must face. I suggest you set out for Faron Woods as soon as you both are ready," she said. Fi went back into Link's sword, and we remained silent for a few moments.

Eventually, Link broke the silence, and spoke up. "Well, that sounded completely amazing," he said. I turned to him, and nodded. "See? What did I tell you, Link? And you thought you weren't going to play it right," I said. Link smiled. "Well, I didn't think I would somehow be able to play a song I've never heard before on my first try, Samuel. But, I guess you were right. I just…did what felt natural, as strange as it sounds, and it worked," he said, still surprised.

I chuckled. "Okay, then. Well, now that we know where to go next, let's head to Faron Woods," I said. Link nodded, and we ran back towards the small hole. We crawled through it, came back out, and walked over to the edge of the Isle of Songs. We then dove into the sky, calling our Loftwings. After a few seconds, I saw them come into view, and they caught us. Once we were safely on our birds, I suddenly remembered the Goddess Cube Chest that we could get. I informed Link I would be back in a second, and went to collect it.

After stuffing the Gold Rupee into my wallet, I dove back onto my Loftwing, and Link and I started making our way out of the Thunderhead. We made it out without any problems, except for a few Skytails following us. Once Link and I were safely out of the Thunderhead, we headed for the green column of light, where I knew the first Silent Realm was waiting for us.

**Well, that's it! I hope all of you enjoyed reading this chapter! If you've got anything to say, then PM me or leave a review, and I'll get back to you. I'll try and get the next chapter out soon, so I'll be seeing you all then! Bye! :D**


	34. Chapter 34

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Thirty-Four! It will be in Samuel's POV, and it will cover the Faron Woods Silent Realm. And, Link and Samuel will start to head to Lake Floria as well. As always, huge thanks to Bezerker21, CassIE-Ray, ToonLink, and TheSunsetWolf for reviewing, and huge thanks to PhantasmicFire323 for beta reading this chapter! Thank you to everybody!**

**Also, I'd like to apologize right now for not exactly keeping up with my update schedule. A couple chapters back, I promised you guys a chapter once every week, but the most I've been able to do is once every week and a half. That's because I've been caught up in marching band and other things. Now that I've got a two week break from marching band, I should be able to keep up with that, at least for a little while. So, expect the next chapter next Wednesday. Sorry if you had to wait a little bit for this one.**

**Okay, then! Now that that's out of the way, let the chapter begin! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Can't Touch This**

(Samuel's POV)

Link and I eventually passed over the green column of light, and dove off of our Loftwings. We began our descent towards the surface, and soon passed through the hole in the cloud barrier. I already knew where the Silent Realm was located at, so I turned to Link. "Hey, Link! Follow me! I know where the trial is!" I shouted.

Link nodded. "Where is it?" he asked. I looked downward, and spotted the Viewing Platform. I pointed to the Bird Statue that sat on the platform, and answered. "It's right over there, by the Viewing Platform! Let's head over there!" I replied. Link nodded, and leaned his body forward, piloting it towards the Viewing Platform. I followed suit, and we both eventually were over the Bird Statue.

We continued descending towards the Viewing Platform, and pulled out our Sailcloths before we hit the ground. We landed safely, and Link and I stood there for a second. After a moment of silence, Fi came out of Link's sword to speak with us. "A report, Masters. I have detected the aura of a Trial Gate nearby. If you can pinpoint the origin of this aura using dowsing, I conjecture the song you learned at the Isle of Songs, Farore's Courage, will reveal the gate," she said.

Link and I nodded, and Fi returned to Link's sword. After she vanished from sight, Link took out his sword to dowse, but I stopped him. "Don't waste your time, Link. The Trial Gate is right there," I said, pointing to the exact spot where the gate was. I could see some Blessed Butterflies fluttering over the gate itself, and I could also see a faint mist that changed color every so often surrounding the area.

Link looked where I was gesturing, and put his sword away. "Oh. I didn't think it would be this close to us…" he muttered. I shook my head, turned away from him, and started walking down the steps toward the gate. Link followed me, and when we got to the gate I took out my Bug Net and caught the Blessed Butterflies, because I hadn't really paused to catch any before. After the bugs were safely in my pouch, I put my net away, and took out my ocarina.

Link took out his harp, and turned to me. "So, all we have to do is play Farore's Courage again?" he asked. I nodded, and Link turned to the Trial Gate. "Okay," he muttered. He played a few quick scales on his harp, and I played some on my ocarina. When we completed our scales, a small blue circle with a white triangle in the middle appeared on the ground. After another second of silence, Fi came back out of Link's sword, and hovered above the circle in front of us.

Another rainbow circle suddenly formed, and it started to pulse. Link and I played the first bar of Farore's Courage on our instruments, and Fi sang along, copying us. As the three of us repeated the bar, blue petals of light started to form around the Trial Gate, eventually making a complete circle. When the circle was complete, Link, Fi, and I played Farore's Courage in its entirety, just as we had done at the Isle of Songs.

Link strummed his harp, playing a soft accompaniment. I played the melody just as I had before, and Fi sang the melody along with me. When the three of us completed the song, Fi spoke up. "Something here is reacting to our performance of Farore's Courage. I have confirmed the appearance of a strange mark on the ground," she said. I scoffed. "_You don't say, Fi? I never would have guessed that_," I thought.

Fi went on. "I calculate a 90% possibility that this mark is a Trial Gate, as mentioned by the goddess statue we heard from on the Isle of Songs," she said. She then turned to Link. "Master Link, thrust your sword into the center of the mark on the ground before you," she said. She went back into Link's sword, and Link turned to face me.

"What's going to happen when I put my sword in the gate?" he asked. I shrugged. "Don't worry, Link. Fi will explain everything to you once you've done that. I'd probably do a crap job of explaining it to you anyway," I replied. Link stared at me with a quizzical look for another second, and turned back to the gate. Then, he unsheathed his sword, and held it up above his head. "Okay, then," he muttered. He turned his head back to me, and said a quick goodbye. "I'll see you later, Samuel," he said. Link turned back to the Trial Gate, and plunged his sword deep into it.

As soon as Link's sword was firmly implanted in the ground, I saw his entire body light up with a golden light. I also saw something fly out of him, which I presumed was his spirit going to the Silent Realm. Nothing else exciting happened, so after a moment I turned away from Link. I looked around, and saw Bucha walking towards us. When he arrived, I greeted him with a small nod. "Hello, Bucha," I smiled.

Bucha looked down at me. "Ah, hello again. What is your friend doing, kewwww?" he asked. I glanced back at Link, whose body was still glowing golden, and then back to Bucha. "Oh, he's just getting a Water Dragon's Scale. Once he's done, I'm going to get one, too," I replied. Bucha nodded. "That's amazing! I heard that if you have one, kewww, you can swim through the water like a dragon soars through the sky!" he said, his voice hinting with excitement.

"There must be places in the woods that you haven't visited yet, kewww. Once you both have Water Dragon's Scales, you should explore areas that you couldn't even get to before, kewww!" he continued. I nodded. "Yeah, we'll be sure to do that," I replied, slightly sarcastically. After that, I turned away from Bucha, ending our conversation, and faced Link again.

After about five more seconds, the golden light covering Link's body suddenly died away, and I saw Link take his sword out of the ground. "_Wait, what? Did he give up or something? There's no way he's done already; it's only been like a minute at the most. It's not possible to do it that fast_," I thought. Link stood back up, sheathed his sword, and turned back around to face me. He looked shaken up, and gave a deep breath before speaking.

"Wow, Samuel. Just wow." His voice was slightly off, "That has got to be, hands down, the worst thing I've ever done in my life, period. Those Guardians are the scariest things ever. You know, you could've at least warned me about them before I went in there. I can't believe it took me so long to do it, either. I'm sorry if you got bored waiting for me," he apologized. My mouth fell open, and I stared at him. "What do you mean? You were only in there for, like, a minute or so," I said. Link stared at me skeptically. "What? Only for a minute? That can't be right; I failed that thing, like, four times, and I didn't rush unless I accidentally woke the Guardians up," he mused.

I stared at Link for another second. "Well, I guess that's not important. You said you completed the trial, right?" I asked. Link nodded, and reached into his pouch. He pulled out a Water Dragon's Scale that wasn't there before. "Yeah, I completed it... I have a quick question, though. What the heck is this?" he asked, holding the Water Dragon's Scale up.

I looked at the Water Dragon's Scale, and started to explain it to him, "That's a Water Dragon's Scale, Link. It lets you breathe underwater for a pretty good amount of time, so we can go to other places that we couldn't go to before. Plus, it lets you do a spin attack underwater as well." Link looked at the Water Dragon's Scale again, and thought for a moment. "Huh. I guess that'll come in handy," he said. Link put the scale back in his pouch, and walked over to me.

"Well, I guess it's your turn now, Samuel. Good luck," he said, clapping my shoulder. I nodded. "Thanks, Link," I smiled. I walked over to the Trial Gate, pulled out my own sword, and raised it high above my head. Then, I turned my head around for a moment, and said a quick goodbye to Link. "See you around, Link." Link waved a quick goodbye, and I faced the Trial Gate again. I brought my sword down as hard as I could, and plunged it deep into the gate.

As soon as my sword stopped moving, I felt all of my strength leave my body, and I completely lost consciousness. When I awoke again, I stood up and scanned my surroundings. I was standing in Farore's Silent Realm. It was an almost carbon copy of Faron Woods, except there were a few differences.

For one, I could see that everything had a dull green color to it, including the sky. I looked around, and spotted the first of the Tears of Farore that I was supposed to collect. I looked past the tear, and spotted a Guardian standing perfectly still, with its huge sword embedded in the ground. "_Man, those things look even more scary up close,"_ I thought, shivering slightly, despite the fact that there didn't seem to be much of a temperature. I kept glancing around, and spotted some Watchers floating around as well, holding lanterns.

After looking around some more, I heard a voice appear in my head; it was Fi. _"Master Samuel,"_ she said. I thought back a quick message. _"What do you want, Fi?"_ I asked, trying to be polite. Fi went on to explaining things about the Silent Realm that I already knew. _"As expected, I cannot follow you into this realm, for this trial calls out to your mind alone. This is the nature of places known as Silent Realms. They are domains of the spirit, accessible only to the goddess's chosen heroes,"_ she stated.

_"This particular trial, Farore's Silent Realm, tests the limits of your courage. Your spirit has temporarily separated from your body so that you may undertake this challenge. To reach the location of the flames that will enhance your and Master Link's swords, it is necessary for you to overcome this trial and undergo spiritual growth, just as Master Link has done,"_ she continued.

As soon as Fi finished her speech, I suddenly felt a warm feeling form at the very center of my body. A small white light appeared in my chest, and floated out in front of me. The light hovered in front of me for a moment, and then suddenly turned into a Spirit Vessel. I took the Spirit Vessel, and strapped it to my belt. As I did so, Fi spoke up again_. "That is your Spirit Vessel, Master Samuel. When this vessel is full-"_ she started. However, I interrupted her. _"You know Fi, I don't mean to be rude with you, but I already know how the Silent Realms work. Can I just start the trial now and get it over with?"_ I questioned.

Fi's voice paused for a second, and she replied after a moment of awkward silence. _"Of course, Master Samuel. Good luck. I will be eagerly awaiting your return to the outside world. May the goddess watch over you, Master,"_ she articulated. Fi's voice disappeared from my head, and I glanced ahead at the Tear of Farore in front of me. I felt slightly guilty for interrupting Fi, but I honestly didn't want or need to hear how the Silent Realms worked. In my opinion, Fi explaining things would just waste time.

I shook away those thoughts, and concentrated on the task at hand. "_Okay, Samuel. Here goes nothing…"_ I thought. I walked to the edge of the protective circle, and took my first step out of it. Luckily, I already knew what was going to happen, so I didn't freak out when the entire Silent Realm turned a harsh red color. I saw the Guardian below the Viewing Platform creak to life, but by the time it noticed me, I had already collected my first Tear of Farore.

As soon as I touched the tear, it flew straight into my Spirit Vessel, and the Silent Realm calmed to the green color again. I didn't waste any time, and made my way up the Viewing Platform, where the second tear was waiting for me. I collected it, and went off to find the third one. I jumped off the Viewing Platform, and passed by the protective circle.

I eyed the third Tear of Farore, which was sitting near a motionless Guardian. But, a Watcher was pacing back and forth near the tear as well, trying to spot me with its lantern. I walked over toward the tear, and waited for the Watcher to go off in the other direction. When it did, I stepped forward, and collected the third Tear of Farore unnoticed. I dashed away from the Guardian and Watcher, and ran up a tree trunk that had a Light Fruit on it. I didn't really need the Light Fruit, because I already knew where all of the Tears of Farore were by heart. However, I decided to eat it anyway, and green beacons of light shot up across the Silent Realm, showing me the exact locations of the tears.

After finishing the Light Fruit, I ran over to a vine wall, and climbed it as fast as I could. I had to jump over to another vine wall to get where I wanted to be, but I made it across safely, and collected my fourth tear unharmed. I walked to the edge of the platform I was now on, and spotted the next tear near a tree. There was some Waking Water surrounding the tree, forming a small moat. However, I managed to jump over the water, and land right next to the Tear of Farore. I collected it, and paused to catch my breath for a second.

While I did so, I walked behind the tree, where I found a Dusk Relic lying on the ground. I leaned over, picked it up, and stuffed it in my pants pocket for later. Then, I walked back across a log, and hurried over to the next tear. There was a Guardian standing next to the tear, but I knew it couldn't do anything to me until time ran out. So, I walked up to the Guardian, and stood there for a second.

Like I said, the Guardian couldn't do anything to me until time ran out, so I took the chance to taunt it a little. I always did stuff like that whenever I did the Silent Realms, because it got my mind off of the scariness of them. So, I just stood there for a second, and spoke up. "Wait a minute. You aren't going to get me? I thought that was your job! I mean, I'm right here, for Din's sake! I'm literally a foot away! Come at me, bro!" I shouted, motioning to myself with my hands. After that, I continued taunting and teasing the stone-like Guardian for a bit longer before I collected my sixth Tear of Farore and crawled through a small hole.

I crawled out of the hole, and stood back up. Then, I made my way past another motionless Guardian and climbed up some platforms to get my seventh Tear of Farore. I collected another Dusk Relic, and continued my search to collect the rest of the tears. I walked to my left, and ran across a huge tree limb, where there was a tightrope. I stepped onto the tightrope, and started to wobble. However, I regained my balance, and managed to cross it safely, earning me my eighth tear.

Afterwards, I jumped off the platform I was on, and landed back on solid ground. I could see the next Tear of Farore directly in front of a Guardian, which wasn't too much trouble; the trouble was the two Watchers and the pool of Waking Water that were blocking tear. I slowly walked forward, but not far enough that the Watchers would notice me. I shifted to the left, and tried to see if I could get around the Watchers unnoticed.

Luckily, I managed to pass by the Watchers when they were facing the opposite direction. They didn't notice me at all, and I strode over to the Tear of Farore. I collected it, and gazed downward. I could see another tear directly below me, so I collected it as well, making ten. I continued forward, and spotted another small moat of Waking Water. There was a Guardian standing off to the side of the moat, however I knew it wouldn't cause too much trouble.

I knew the Waking Water would recede away from me after a moment, so I paused, waiting for it to do so. After a few seconds of standing there, the Waking Water eventually drained away, exposing the Tear of Farore. I quickly crossed the small moat, collected the tear, spun around, and crossed the moat again. I spotted another Tear of Farore about forty or fifty yards away, so I ran back across the woods, dodging past a Watcher along the way.

When I came to the tear, I stopped for a second and looked down at my Spirit Vessel. After collecting this tear, I would only need 3 more to pass the trial. I still had plenty of time left before the Guardians woke up, so I caught my breath for a few seconds, and paced behind the tear. I spotted another Dusk Relic sitting on a ledge above me, so I jumped up, grabbed it, and stuffed it into my pouch with the others.

After I grabbed the Dusk Relic, I strode back to the Tear of Farore, and collected it, making twelve. I walked off to get the next tear, which was sitting on a slope about thirty yards away. I passed by the Watcher again, and continued walking forward. However, as I walked forward, I suddenly heard the clinking of a lantern, and knew that the Watcher must have noticed me. "_Crap_," I thought.

I instantly sprinted away, trying to outrun the Watcher, but I was too slow. As soon as I felt the light of the Watcher's lantern hit me, I heard the Watcher give a huge screech, and the Silent Realm immediately turned red again. _"No. No, no, no!"_ I thought. I bolted for the slope containing the next tear, but I began to panic when I saw a Guardian fly down towards me from the left side of the slope.

The only tear that was even remotely close to me was the one on the slope, so I had no choice but to go for it. However, at the same time, the Guardian advanced closer to me, blocking the path to the tear. As I drew closer to the Guardian, I saw it raise its sword high up in the air. I still had no choice but to get past it, so I continued charging forward, ready to attempt a dodge when I could.

When I was face-to-face with the Guardian, it quickly brought its huge sword slashing down at me. I quickly ducked to the ground, and, miraculously, rolled away - escaping unharmed. As soon as I came out of my roll, I continued bolting towards the Tear of Farore, not daring to look back. I felt a stream of air hit me, and knew the Guardian must have given one last attempt to catch me. However, it was unsuccessful. I collected the Tear of Farore, and the Silent Realm turned back to its quiet, green state.

I quickly ran up the rest of the slope, and fell to the ground in exhaustion. I lay there, panting heavily, attempting to catch my breath again. "_Wow. That was way too close... That's it. Now I'm definitely working out more when I get home,"_ I thought. I continued lying there for a moment more, and eventually stood back up. "_Well, Samuel, I guess you can't expect to get through this thing without slipping up at least once. Just be glad you didn't actually get caught_," I mused.

I looked ahead, through the roots of the giant tree I was standing under, and could see the fourteenth Tear of Farore in front of me; it was guarded by yet another Watcher. _"Okay, Samuel. You've only got two more tears left to collect, and one of them is right there. No more screwing around. Think about Jack," _I told myself. I eyed the Tear of Farore again, and gave a small nod to myself.

I walked through the roots of the tree, and waited for the Watcher to go away. When it did, I collected my fourteenth tear without a problem. As soon as I got the tear, I turned around, and rushed back through the giant roots of the tree. As I walked through the roots, I came across a path on my right that I knew would lead me to my final tear. I dashed out of the tree roots, eager to finish the trial, and continued along the small path until I came into a clearing with a bunch of Watchers, Guardians, and Waking Water.

Despite all this, I knew the tear was directly behind me, so I paid all of that stuff no mind, and turned around. I could see some ledges I would have to climb, but nothing else separated me from my final Tear of Farore. I ran over to the ledges, climbed them, and strode over to the last tear. I touched the tear, and it flew straight into my Spirit Vessel.

As soon as the tear was safely inside my Vessel, I looked ahead. I could see the protective circle from where I was standing. The only difference I could see was that the circle was now shooting a huge, bright blue beacon into the sky. I gave a small grin, and faced ahead. There was a large log in front of me, so I pushed it over the ledge, creating a safe drop for me to get back to the protective circle.

I jumped down onto the log, jumped to the ground, and then I started to walk back to the circle. As I neared the circle, I congratulated myself. "_Well, Samuel, you did it. You completed the first trial. And, to top it off, you did it on your first try. Finally, you're done with one of the Silent Realms. Only three more to go_," I mentally sighed, partially in relief that the trial was over, partially because there were more to come. By now, I was standing at the edge of the protective circle. I paused my train of thought for a second, and then I turned around. "Can't touch this!" I shouted as loud as I possibly could, taunting the Guardians again. After that, I turned and stepped into the protective circle completely unharmed. "_Done_," I thought.

I walked closer to the blue beacon of light, and glanced down at my Spirit Vessel. All 15 of my Tears of Farore suddenly flew out of their bulbs in the Spirit Vessel, and surged into the white flower atop of the Vessel. I watched as their light began to change the flower, eventually turning it into a green bulb. The bulb broke off of my Spirit Vessel, and floated slightly above my hands.

After a few seconds of staring at the bulb, it suddenly exploded into green petals, and I was left holding something completely different: the Water Dragon's Scale. The scale itself was a shiny blue-green color, and it was tied to some kind of string; I assumed the string was there so it could be worn as a bracelet or necklace. I held the scale in my hands for another moment, not feeling very different than before… I mean, I knew what the scale was supposed to do, but I didn't suddenly feel like I was going to be able to breathe underwater; I felt the same as before.

"_Don't worry, Samuel; it'll probably work once you actually get to some water_," I told myself. After my brief reassurance and a few more seconds of silence, I walked into the very center of the protective circle. I stood there for a second, and suddenly felt my body start to dissipate into millions of pieces. I felt all of the strength leave me, and I completely blacked out again.

When I came to, I pulled upward with all of my might, and my sword was taken out of the Trial Gate. When the golden light cleared from my vision, I sheathed my sword, and looked around; I was back in Faron Woods, the normal one. I peered behind me, and noticed Link standing about five feet away. His jaw dropped when he saw me. "Wow, Samuel. And you said that I was in there for a short time?" he asked, staring at me with shock written all over his face.

I nodded. "Yeah, you were only in there for a minute, Link. Why? How long was I in there for?" I asked. Link gave a small smile. "Ten seconds," he replied. My mouth fell open as I copied Link's own expression from before. "What? Are you sure? You're not joking?" I asked. Link shook his head, "I swear to Hylia that I'm not joking. It was literally ten seconds from the time you stuck your sword in the gate to the time you pulled it out. I'm guessing you did it on your first try?" he asked.

I nodded, and pulled out my Water Dragon's Scale. "Yeah, I did it on my first try. I only got spotted once…" I replied. I checked my bag again, and pulled out the three Dusk Relics I had collected. I showed them to Link. "Did you happen to get any of these while you were in there?" I asked, holding the relics up.

Link stared at my relics for a second, and nodded. "Yeah, I think I got a few of those. Let me just check…" he trailed off a bit. He looked inside his pouch, and I saw his face fall slightly. Link reached inside his pouch, and pulled out a single Dusk Relic. "Oh. I thought I had more than one, but I guess I'm wrong. Is there any way to get more of these? If I had known these would be important, I would've collected more of them. They are important, right?" he questioned.

I shrugged. "They're important, but they're not absolutely crucial. They'll just help us upgrade some items. Don't worry, Link; we'll get more of them later on if we need to. What's important is that we both have Water Dragon's Scales, and we can continue looking for the flames," I replied simply. Link nodded, and Fi suddenly flew out of his sword to congratulate us. "Congratulations, Masters. You both have passed the trial. You now have the power to proceed to the location of the first sacred flame that will enhance your swords," she stated.

Fi paused for a second, and started to explain the Water Dragon's Scales to us, even though I had already explained them to Link before. "The Water Dragon's Scales are sacred gifts from the goddess. The great spirit of the Water Dragon has provided you both with the ability to swim freely underwater. The flame that you two seek is somewhere in these woods…Masters, I must conclude that this flame is likely in a part of this area you have not explored," she reported.

After finishing her speech, Fi returned to Link's sword. Link turned to me, and spoke up, "Well, if our gift was the ability to breathe underwater, then I think it's pretty obvious that we need to go near water next," he said. I smiled. "How certain are you about that, Link?" I asked. Link smiled back. "I calculate a 100% probability that I'm right," he replied, imitating Fi. I chuckled at Link's imitation. "Well, you could probably take over for Fi, because you're right, Link," I replied. Link nodded. "Yeah, I was pretty sure about that. Actually, I think I remember passing a huge lake with a waterfall before. Is that where we need to go?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yep. That lake is where we need to go. It's called Lake Floria, and it's really beautiful, at least in my opinion. But, there are a couple of things we need to do before we can get there, so let's get going," I said. Link nodded again, "Okay. Let's go, then," he replied. He turned around, and headed off to the left. I followed him, and we came to a small pond filled with water that was near the Great Tree.

Link stopped at the edge of the pond, and turned to me. "Okay, Samuel. Let's try these scales out," he said. "Let's," I agreed. Link reached into his pouch, and pulled out his Water Dragon's Scale again. I did the same, and we both looked at our scales for a moment, slightly quizzically.

I didn't know exactly how the scales were supposed to work; I mean, did they just work from our pouches automatically, or did we have to wear them, or what? In the game, I knew they worked automatically, but I was pretty sure that wouldn't be the case in real life. So, I unraveled the string tied to the scale, and looked at how long the string was. It looked long enough to be worn as a necklace, so I decided to try that.

I tied a small knot at the end of the string, and placed the Water Dragon's Scale around my neck like a necklace. Link saw what I was doing, and did the same. When we both had our scales around our necks, I looked to Link. "Okay, Link. Let's give these things a go," I said, shrugging a bit. Link nodded, and jumped into the small pond. I followed him, jumped into the water, and immediately flinched. "_Ah! Cold!_" I thought.

After getting over the initial shock of the water, I glanced over to Link. "Okay, Link. You ready?" I asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready. On three?" he asked. I nodded, and started to count. "One… Two… Three!" I shouted. As soon as I finished that sentence, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and plunged myself down into the water.

I felt my head go underwater, and swam down as far as I could, managing to keep my glasses on. After a few seconds, I felt myself hit the ground, and I gave myself a quick pep talk. "_Okay, Samuel. This is the moment of truth. Let's see if this thing really works_," I mentally prepared myself. I opened my mouth, and took a deep breath in. Honestly, I was doubtful that the scale would work. But somehow, miraculously, I felt my lungs expand and take in air as if the water wasn't even there.

I exhaled back through my mouth, and tried breathing through my nose next; it worked just as well as it had before. I knew that it wouldn't last forever, but I still couldn't believe what I was doing; I was breathing underwater. I smiled, and continued repeating the motion of just breathing with my eyes shut.

In case you're wondering, the reason I had my eyes closed is because my eyesight was literally so bad that it hurt to open my eyes underwater. I've tried to open my eyes underwater plenty of times before, but I could never open them for more than a few seconds; I've always had to wear goggles when I swim because of this.

I suddenly realized what this meant, and I panicked; sure, I could breathe underwater, but if I couldn't see where I was going, then I was still screwed. "_What, Zelda, you couldn't include a pair of goggles with my scale? Great. Now what do I do?_" I thought.

I thought about my dilemma for a few moments, and decided to try something out. "_Well, I don't know if this'll work, but maybe the scale will let me see underwater, too; it can do a bunch of other stuff, so why not that?_" I wondered. I decided to give it a try, and counted to three again. "_Okay, here goes. One… Two… Three!_" I thought. I then opened my eyes as wide as I could.

Initially, I could see nothing but blue on all sides of me, as expected. I was tempted to close my eyes again, because they were starting to hurt from the pressure of the water. But, after a few seconds, just as I was about to close them, my vision suddenly changed. It went from a blurred mess of blue water to crystal clear in no time flat. I could suddenly make out Link, who was about ten yards away. I looked upward, and could see the top of the water, as well as a yellow Quadro Baba hanging from a tree limb above the water.

"_Oh, my Goddess. It worked. I can't believe it. I can freaking see underwater,_" I thought. It probably doesn't seem like that big of an accomplishment to you, but to me it felt like being able to see after being blind from birth; it just felt amazing, being able to see underwater when I couldn't before. I turned to Link, and swam over to him. He swam over to me, and we met each other in the middle of the pond.

I opened my mouth, and spoke up. "Well, Link, I guess these things really do work," I said. However, I suddenly realized something else; I could barely hear my voice through the water, even though I had Hylian ears. And, if I couldn't hear my own voice, then I'm almost certain that Link wouldn't be able to. I was starting to run out of breath anyway, so I pointed upward, signaling for Link to go up. He understood, and swam upward. I followed him, and we both eventually broke the surface of the water. We swam back to solid ground, and got out of the water.

I decided that there was no point in trying to dry myself off, because Link and I would be going back into the pond anyway. Instead, I turned to Link, and spoke up. "So, I'm guessing that your scale works, Link?" I asked. Link nodded, "Yeah, it works. Actually, it feels pretty surreal, being able to breathe underwater like that," he commented.

I nodded. "Yeah, it sure feels weird," I added. I thought about our small problem, and spoke up. "Hey, Link. You weren't able to hear me underwater, were you? Did you hear what I said?" I asked. Link shook his head. "No, I couldn't hear a thing. Actually, that's pretty weird, because I normally have really good hearing. Plus, shouldn't these scales be able to do something like that? If they let us breathe underwater, than why won't they let us hear?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Who do I look like, Nayru? I have no idea, Link. Although, that does kind of suck that we won't be able to speak to each other while we're underwater…" I trailed off. I thought about it for a second, and suddenly felt a light bulb go off in my head. I facepalmed. "_Wow. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner_," I thought.

I picked my head up. "Wait a minute, Link. I think I have a solution," I said. I reached into my pouch, which was somehow bone dry, and pulled out my ocarina. "I can probably just play Saria's Song, and we should be able to talk to each other underwater. I'm not absolutely certain if it'll work, but let's try it out," I said.

Link nodded, and I raised my ocarina to my mouth. I played Saria's Song, and thought about Link for a second. _"Hey, Link. Can you hear me?"_ I asked. I heard Link's voice respond in my head after a second or two. _"Yeah, I can hear you just fine. Okay, so now what? Should we just dive back into the water, and see if it works?"_ he asked. I thought about it for a second, and remembered something small we should probably do.

I spoke back to Link. "Well, I guess we could, but I have a favor to ask. If you don't mind, can you stick around here for a while and catch some birds in your bug net? I'll go ahead, and get rid of all the enemies in the tree so we can get through it easier," I replied. Link looked slightly confused. "Birds? What are they good for?" he asked.

I explained Bird Feathers to Link, "The birds themselves aren't important. But, their feathers are. Just stay here, and catch a bunch of yellow and red birds. Also, if you can, catch some blue ones, because they'll help us even more. Okay?" I asked.

Link gave a nod. "Alright, I guess I'll stay here for a little bit. Just be sure to save some monsters for me to kill when you're in there," he added. I smiled, and gave a small nod back. "I'll try, Link. I'll see you in a bit." I turned away from Link, and dove back into the pond. I swam down into the water, and made my way over to a small gap in the roots near the bottom. Then, swimming into the hole it created, I entered the Great Tree.


	35. Chapter 35

**Hey, readers! Guess what? This fic has just passed 10,000 views! Yay! *throws confetti* So, I'd like to thank everyone who has done anything for this fic, whether it was just reading it, favoriting it, following it, leaving a review, or some combination of the four! Without you guys, I'd be absolutely nowhere. So, thanks for all of the support you've given me! ;)**

**Anyway, guess what it's time for? Yep, Chapter Thirty-Five! This chapter will be in Samuel's POV, and will continue with his and Link's journey leading up to Lake Floria. Also, I'm sorry if this chapter sucks, but this is the first chapter I've actually sat down and typed since the month long hiatus started, and I just need to get into the groove of writing again. Anyway, as always, thanks to ToonLink and TheSunsetWolf for reviewing last chapter, and thanks to PhantasmicFire323 for beta reading this chapter! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: It's Like We're Children**

(Samuel's POV)

I swam out of the darkness, and continued through the now faintly-lit tunnel. As I swam through the tunnel, I decided to test out if Saria's Song would still work underwater. So, I thought out a message to Link. _"Hey, Link. Can you still hear me?" _I asked. After a moment of silence, I heard Link's response. _"Yeah, Samuel. I can still hear you fine. So I'm guessing that Saria's- Gah! Stupid birds! Come back here!" _he replied.

I swam over to an air bubble, because I was starting to run out of breath. As I popped the bubble, I replied back. _"Um, what's wrong, Link?" _I asked, already aware of what the problem was. Link took another second or two to respond, and he sounded mad. _"Oh, nothing, Samuel. It's just these stupid birds. I've been trying to catch some ever since you left, but I haven't caught a single one!" _he grumbled.

I laughed, which produced a small stream of bubbles. I continued swimming, and eventually reached the end of the tunnel. I swam upward, broke the surface of the water, breathed in some air, and started looking around the Great Tree, taking in the details. There were lots of mushrooms and other plant life scattered all around the tree, as well as some vine walls to climb.

I spotted some platforms that were hanging from the ceiling by rope, and I also spotted a blue Bokoblin and a good number of Froak that Link and I could kill. After I thought that, I suddenly remembered that Link was outside trying to catch birds, which, when I thought about it some more, wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do with a regular Bug Net.

So, I spoke to Link again, and told him to just catch up with me. _"Hey, Link._ _If you can't catch any birds, then that's fine. It's hard to catch them_ _with the regular net, anyway. Just catch up with me, and we'll get some later, alright?" _I asked. I waited for Link's response. _"Okay, then. I'll be there in a minute. Actually, I think I finally got the hang of it, because I managed to get a few feathers just after you stopped speaking to me. And, I think one or two of them are blue. So, at least I haven't _completely _wasted my time," _he replied. Link paused for a second, and said a quick goodbye. "_I'll be there in a bit. See you, Samuel," _he said.

After Link's voice disappeared from my head, I swam over to the nearby vine wall, and climbed up it. Then, I turned around, and looked ahead. There were a couple of Froak nearby, so I decided to get rid of them. I took out my Gust Bellows, and aimed it at the nearest one. Then, I pushed the button, and sent air at the Froak until it was pressed against the wall. As soon as the Froak made contact with the wall, it was killed in a fiery explosion.

I jumped onto one of the wooden platforms, and blew air at another Froak, which sent the platform I was standing on backwards. I eventually managed to blow the other Froak into the wall, and it was killed as well. I continued slaying the Froaks with my Gust Bellows, and managed to kill the blue Bokoblin as well. So, by the time Link entered the Great Tree, all of the enemies were gone, and I was standing on the second platform, ready to exit the tree.

I looked down at Link from my platform, and spoke up. "Well, Link, it seems that I just couldn't resist killing everything in sight. Sorry about that," I said. Link swam over to the vine wall, climbed it, and made his way over to where I was. When he safely landed on my platform, I questioned Link about catching birds. "So, you said you got a couple of bird feathers?" I asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah. Even though it took forever, I managed to catch some feathers for us," he replied. Link reached into his pouch, and pulled out six feathers: four yellow ones, and two blue ones. I took a blue feather and two yellow ones from Link's hand, and stuffed them into my pouch. "Thanks, Link," I said. Link gave a small nod, and stuffed the rest of the feathers into his pouch. "No problem," he shrugged.

Link looked around the rest of the Great Tree, and spoke up. "So, there isn't anything else to do in here, now that you've killed everything?" he asked. I thought for a second, and remembered something. "Actually, there's something I – or you, rather, because I think my wallet's full - can get. There's a Gold Rupee in here, if I remember correctly," I wondered aloud.

Link's eyes opened a little. "Another Gold Rupee?" he asked in surprise. I nodded, and pointed off in the direction where the Rupee was. "Yeah, it should be over there. You just have to swing over to your left, and kill some more enemies that I didn't get. I'll wait for you by the exit, okay?" I asked. "Yeah, go ahead," he nodded.

I gave Link a small nod in return, and then he turned back around. Link took his Gust Bellows out once again, blew his way over to the first wooden platform, and jumped over to it. I then used the momentum he built up to swing myself over to the exit. I landed safely, walked over to the wall, sat down, and waited for Link to come back.

After about a minute or two of waiting, I saw Link jump back onto the first platform. He used his Gust Bellows to swing the platforms one more time, and met up with me at the end of the tree. I stood back up. "You got it?" I asked. Link nodded, and walked towards the exit. "Yeah, I got it. Let's go," he replied. Link walked outside while I followed him.

We came back out into the sunlight, and I immediately turned to my left. "Come on, Link. This way," I said, beckoning him to the left pathway. Link followed me, and we climbed up some more wooden platforms on the outside of the Great Tree. We eventually came to a vine wall, and after I killed the Walltula that was on it with my Slingshot, we climbed up the wall to another wooden platform.

After dropping down onto the platform, I spotted a few more Walltulas on my left. "Help me with these, Link," I said, pulling my Slingshot out for the second time. Link drew his Slingshot as well, and we started firing at the small spiders. However, one of my shots was inaccurate, and it hit a Deku Hornet nest that was hanging nearby. _"Oh, crap," _I thought, my eyes wide.

The nest fell to my feet, and crumbled into nothingness. I started panicking as the small hornets poured out of the nest, starting to swarm near me. For some reason, they didn't go after Link, even though he was literally standing a foot away. "Ahhh! Link! Get them away from me!" I screamed, swatting at them with my hands frantically. I whipped out my sword for a second, and started slashing at the bugs in a frenzy, trying to keep them away.

"_Wait a minute, that's it! Bugs!" _I thought, suddenly remembering I had a Bug Net. I quickly sheathed my sword, and whipped out my Bug Net. I started waving my net around, and that scared the hornets away. I didn't manage to catch any, but I started laughing like a maniac. "Hahahaha! That's _right_, stupid hornets! Fly away!" I shouted after them.

After the hornets were gone, I put my Bug Net away, and turned back to Link, breathing heavily. When I got a look at Link, I saw he had a huge smile on his face. "What is it, Link?" I asked. Link shook his head, and smiled even more. "It's just you and those hornets, Samuel. I know you're scared of them, but they're honestly not _that _bad. You do know they only hurt you if you hurt them, right?" he asked.

I scoffed. "Yeah, coming from the guy that _didn't _accidentally hit them with a Deku Seed," I muttered, crossing my arms. Link looked at me. "Whatever, Samuel. They're gone now, so let's keep going," he said. I uncrossed my arms, gave a small nod, and we continued killing the Walltulas from before until they were all gone. Once they were, Link and I climbed up the vine wall, and made our way over to another small wooden platform. Then, we dropped down, and walked back inside the Great Tree.

Once Link and I were inside, I spotted a Moblin – a fat, red skinned creature holding a spear and wooden shield – standing in our path. Link noticed it, too, and immediately turned to me. "What is that thing?" he asked. I turned to look at him. "What, that? That's just a Moblin, Link. They look all tough because of how big they are, but they're actually really easy to defeat," I replied, shrugging a bit.

Link glanced back to the Moblin for a second, and then back to me. "They're easy to beat? How?" he asked, still confused. I pointed to the Moblin's shield. "Do you see its shield?" I asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, but I don't see how that makes—" he started. However, I had already broken away from Link before he could finish. I charged at the Moblin, and it eventually noticed me. It roared at me, and lowered its shield, advancing towards me ever-so-slowly.

"_Yeah, that's right. Keep doing that," _I thought as I approached the Moblin. As soon as I was close enough, I charged at the Moblin, and went for its shield. Then, I suddenly jumped up, and quickly grabbed the top of it. I pulled myself up, and was now standing on top of the shield.

The Moblin had a look of shock and confusion on its face, but it didn't last very long. Before it knew what I was doing, I jumped off of its shield, and landed behind it. I swiveled around, unsheathing my sword. Then, I ran back to the Moblin, and started slashing at its backside, which was uncovered, for some reason. It took a lot of slashes, but the Moblin eventually gave a roar of defeat, and crumpled to the ground before me, leaving behind a heart.

After the Moblin exploded into darkness, I looked over at Link, who had a look of complete and utter shock on his face. "Wha-? What the-? How did you-?" he tried, but couldn't get the words out. He walked back over to me, and I spoke back up. "Of course, I _could _have just thrown a couple Bombs at it, but that way is way more fun," I said nonchalantly. Link stared at me for another second with a skeptical look, and gave a small nod. "Okay. Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say, Samuel," he said.

I turned around, and faced the exit. _"Um, okay, Link. It wasn't _that _impressive. You're acting like I just discovered the Triforce, for Din's sake. Calm down, man. You probably would have figured it out yourself if you had to go against it," _I thought, mentally shrugging. I walked out of the Great Tree again, and Link followed me. When we were outside, I spotted a Bird Statue on my right, and something clicked in my mind.

"_Wait a minute. Link and I each have full wallets because of all of the Gold Rupees we've been getting, and Link managed to collect some Bird Feathers before. That's exactly what we need to create Divine Shields!" _I realized. I turned to Link, and spoke up. "Hey, Link. Are you done spazzing out over the Moblin?" I asked quickly.

Link faced me, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. And, I wasn't _that _surprised," he replied with a slight shrug. I scoffed. "Sure you weren't. Anyway, I'd like to point out something," I said. Link nodded. "What is it?" he asked, looking at me expectantly. I looked into my pouch, and pulled out my wallet, the regular Bird Feathers that Link had given me, one of the Dusk Relics I'd found in the Silent Realm, and three Ornamental Skulls that I'd found before: the materials for a Divine Shield.

I held the items up, and answered Link. "Well, we both have full wallets, right? And now that you've caught some Bird Feathers and I've collected some Dusk Relics, we can create some of the best shields out there," I said. Link nodded. "Oh. Okay, I think I see where you're going. So, that's why you had me get the Bird Feathers in the first place? To make better shields?" he inquired.

I nodded back. "Yeah. Bird Feathers are used to create the third and second most powerful shields we can get: The Divine Shield and the Goddess Shield, respectively. We'll have to sink a bunch of money into them, but those shields are very, very tough to break, and they resist attacks of all kinds. Plus, they regenerate after attacks, so they'll only break if they get hit a bunch of times in a row," I replied, listing off the good points about the shields.

Link nodded, and looked back at the Bird Statue. "Okay, I guess we can head back up to Skyloft for a little bit and get those new shields. They seem to be worth it," he said. I nodded, stuffed the items back into my pouch, and pulled out my ocarina. "Trust me, Link. They're definitely worth it. Every Rupee. Anyway, do you mind if I just teleport back to Skyloft? I promise that I'll ride with you on the way back," I said.

Link nodded. "Sure, go ahead. I'll meet up with you when I get there. See you later, Samuel," he said. I nodded. "See you, Link," I replied. After my goodbye, I raised my ocarina to my lips, and played the Prelude of Light. As soon as the song was over, I felt myself become engulfed in the familiar yellow light. I felt my body leave solid ground, and felt completely weightless for a brief moment. After a second or two, the light and weightless feeling both died, and I felt my feet touch solid ground again. I blinked, looking around, and saw that I was back in Skyloft, directly in front of the Bazaar.

I strode into the Bazaar, and headed straight for the Item Shop to get a Sacred Shield. I walked over to Rupin, and started looking around. I eventually found the Sacred Shield that was on display, picked it up, and turned to Rupin. "Hey. What's this?" I asked, holding the shield up for him. Rupin looked at the shield for a brief moment, and started explaining it to me.

"Ahaa! That's a Sacred Shield! As you might surmise from its name, it can handle all variety of attacks! Fire? Not a sweat! Electricity? No painful zaps! Plus, it will automatically repair itself when it sustains damage! It's a little fragile, but that shouldn't be a problem for one as talented and agile as yourself!" he said, grinning. I nodded, and gave a small smile. "Thanks. How much does it cost?" I questioned, already knowing the answer.

Rupin looked at the shield again. "500 Rupees. It is an investment… but an excellent one! Care to buy it?" he asked, still smiling. I faked deep thought for a second, and eventually nodded. "Sure. I'll buy it." I reached into my pouch, and pulled out my two Gold Rupees. Rupin took them, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a Silver Rupee, handed it to me, and placed the Sacred Shield into my pouch.

Rupin thanked me for buying the shield, and I said goodbye to him. Then, I walked over to the Scrap Shop to get my new shield upgraded. I walked up to Gondo, and laid my new Sacred Shield down on the counter. "Hey, Gondo, I have a question. Can you upgrade this shield for me?" I asked. Gondo looked at my shield for a second, and nodded.

"You got it! So, you want to upgrade this? You know that once I do it, there's no going back, y'hear?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm good with that." Gondo nodded, and reached down below the counter as I had seen him do before when Link and I got our other things upgraded. He pulled out a big book, and opened it up to a specific page. Then, he set the book down on the counter.

On the page was a picture of a Sacred Shield, a Divine Shield, pictures of the materials needed to upgrade it, and a bunch of other directions written in Skyloftian. I reached into my pouch, pulled out the items on the page, and set them down. "How much will this cost?" I asked, once again knowing the answer. "A hundred Rupees," Gondo replied without hesitation.

I nodded, pulling out the Silver Rupee that Rupin had just given me. "Here you go," I said, handing him the Rupee. Gondo nodded again, pocketed my Rupee, and took my items from me. "Okay, you just wait right here!" he said. He turned around, and started tinkering with my shield. As Gondo was doing his job, I saw Link walk into the Bazaar. I waved to him, and he walked over to where I was.

"Hey, Samuel. Are you getting your shield upgraded now?" he asked. I nodded. "Yep, Gondo's doing it right now," I replied. Link nodded, glanced over at Gondo, and then back to me. "Okay. I'll be back in a second," he said. I nodded, and Link walked over to the Item Shop. As Link neared Rupin, I heard a voice from behind me. "All done! Here you go!"

I turned around to see Gondo holding a Divine Shield. He held it out for me, and I took it in my hands. After staring in awe at the shield's purple and yellow design for a moment, I strapped it to my back. "Thanks," I said with gratitude. Gondo nodded. "Come again," he said in reply. I nodded, and turned away from him. I made a quick mental decision, and decided to sell my Banded Shield and my Iron Shield to Peatrice because I didn't need them anymore.

I walked up to Peatrice, and reached into my pouch. I pulled out my two old shields, and set them down on the counter. "I'd like to sell these," I said. Peatrice looked at my shields for a second. "I'll give you a hundred Rupees for both of them," she said in a bored voice. I nodded, and pushed the shields towards her slightly. "Sure, I'll take that," I said, straining a small smile. Peatrice gave a small nod, and put my shields below the counter. She didn't have any Silver Rupees on her, so she gave me five red ones instead. "Thanks," I said. I pocketed the money, and turned away from her. Then, I walked over to Link, who was getting his own Sacred Shield upgraded at the Scrap Shop.

I walked up to him, and he turned around. "Hey, Samuel. What were you doing at the Item Check? Not to be rude, but nobody really goes there because Peatrice pretty much hates everybody," he said. I shrugged. "Eh, she wasn't horrible. I bet she'd warm up if you got to know her. But anyway, I went over there to sell my old shields for money. I didn't need them anymore, and I was flat broke because the Divine Shield set me back 600 Rupees," I replied.

Link nodded, looking slightly surprised. "Oh. I didn't know you could sell old items there. I'll have to stop by there before we leave," he said. Just then, Gondo turned around holding another Divine Shield. He walked over to Link, and handed it to him. "All done, Link! Here you go!" he said. Link took the shield, and nodded. "Thanks a bunch, Gondo," he replied. Gondo nodded back. "It's no problem," he shrugged.

Link strapped his new shield to his back, and turned to me. "Okay, let me stop by the Item Check and sell my shields, and I'll meet you at the nearest diving platform. Okay?" he asked. I nodded. "Sure, go ahead. I'll wait for you," I responded. Link gave a quick wave goodbye, turning around. He walked over to the Item Check, and I left the Bazaar by myself.

I walked over to the nearest diving platform, and went over to the edge. I sat down, and waited for Link to show back up. _"Okay, Samuel. You're not coming back to Skyloft for anything until you and Link beat the Ancient Cistern, and hopefully free Jack," _I thought. Sure, the Divine Shields would help us out a bunch, but we kind of had to go out of our way for them. And right now, I couldn't afford to waste any more time.

I waited for another minute or so, thinking about the number of things that Link and I still had to do. Then, I heard footsteps come from behind me. I turned my head around, and saw Link coming towards me. So, I stood back up. "You ready to leave, Link? There isn't anything else that you absolutely need to get while we're here? Because I don't want to come back here until we at least get the first sacred flame," I warned.

Link nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready to leave. And although I agree with you on not coming back until we get the first flame, I just want to remind you that this was _your _idea, Samuel," he said, giving me a look. I scoffed. "Yeah, I know. In hindsight, I guess we _could _have waited a little longer, but we'd just be wasting any Rupees we'd find. We both had full wallets, and there really wasn't a better time to spend them than now. At least now we have amazing shields, _and_ we can start picking up Rupees again. So, it wasn't a _total _waste of time," I said in my defense, shrugging.

Link nodded. "Yeah, I guess it was worth it in some ways, but not in others. Oh, well. We've got our new shields and some spare Rupees, so are you ready to go back to Faron Woods?" he asked. I nodded. "Yep. Let's go," I answered. I turned back around, and dove off of the diving platform without another word. Link followed me, and we both called for our Loftwings. I landed on mine, and sped off back towards the green column of light. Link followed right beside me, and we both eventually passed over the gap in the clouds. We jumped off of our birds, and began descending towards the surface.

As we passed through the cloud barrier, I tried to make out where the Bird Statue we left off at was. Link piloted his body over to me, and pointed downward. "Here, Samuel! The Bird Statue is over there!" he said, raising his voice and pointing off in a seemingly random direction. I looked at where Link was pointing, and could _just_ make out the small statue. I nodded. "Thanks! Let's get over there!" I said over the wind.

Link and I piloted our bodies directly above the Bird Statue, and continued falling. When we were nearly about to hit the ground (or in this case, the Great Tree), we pulled our Sailcloths out, and gently floated down to the exact spot where I'd left Link before. Once Link and I were standing on solid ground, we folded up our Sailcloths, and put them away.

As I put my Sailcloth away, I heard a weird sound come from out of nowhere; it sounded like some kind of snoring, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was. "Hey, Link. Do you hear that?" I asked. Link listened for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah, I do. I think I heard that somewhere before, but I have no idea where it's coming from," he replied, already looking around. He turned around, and looked ahead. "Let's go find out, I guess," he said, his voice growing quieter so he could listen more intently. I nodded, and followed Link along the bark of the Great Tree.

As we were walking along, I heard the screech of some Bokoblkins, and the sound of a Monster Horn. I saw two red Bokoblins and a blue one come around the bend, and quickly drew my sword and my new Divine Shield. Link did the same, and we charged at the monsters. I took on the two red Bokoblins, and Link took on the blue one.

I slashed at one of the Bokoblins, and managed to score a hit on it. I didn't let up, and managed to send the Bokoblin on its back. Before it could get back up, I jumped into the air, and finished it with a Fatal Blow. The Bokoblin dropped an Ornamental Skull, so I quickly snagged it before turning back to the other one. It tried to catch me off guard by swinging its club at me when I wasn't looking, but I blocked it with my new shield, and countered with a spin attack.

Just like its brother, the second red Bokoblin was sent flying on its back. I quickly jumped in the air again, and did another Fatal Blow. After my sword ran through the monster's body, I turned to Link, who was still fighting against the blue Bokoblin. He managed to block a strike from the Bokoblin, and countered back with a slash. It was enough to finish off the Bokoblin without doing a Fatal Blow.

After the monster disappeared into darkness, Link and I continued up the tree. I spotted an Amber Relic sitting in a small crevice, so I picked it up and put it into my pouch. Link and I came across some Keese, but we made quick work of them as well. As we continued to climb the tree, I noticed the snoring sound from before become louder and louder. We soon came to a small vine wall, and climbed up it.

When we were back on our feet, Link and I started looking around at where we were; we were standing on the top of the Great Tree, and had a pretty good view of Faron Woods from where we were. I kept looking around for a little bit, and Fi came out of Link's sword. She basically confirmed where we were, and repeated what I had noticed about the view from up here. After her explanation, Fi turned to her left, and we both followed her gaze. I looked to my right, and saw an old Kikwi sitting on a curled-up tree branch, snoring to itself. _"Oh, yeah. I actually forgot about Yerbal. Well, I guess we'll need to wake him up if we want to keep going," _I thought to myself.

Fi spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. "Masters, look up there…I have confirmed the discovery of a new Kikwi. Analysis indicates a 90% chance that the sounds we have been hearing were the loud snores of this Kikwi," she said. After telling us this, Fi went back into Link's sword. Link stared at Yerbal for a second, and spoke up.

"Well, I'm guessing we should wake him up," I heard him say. I nodded, and pulled out my Slingshot. I put a Deku Seed in it, aimed, and fired at Yerbal. My seed hit him dead-on, and he woke right up. "Kikwiiiiiiiiii! Whoozit?! I'm nappin'!" he shouted. Then, he noticed Link and I. "Oooh, look at that! Some real live humans! Haven't seen one of you in a while, kwrrrrrk. They used to call me Yerbal. Now I'm just the old Kikwi hermit. I watch over this forest here…when I'm not nappin'," he said.

Yerbal went on. "I don't know how you two wandered all the way up here, but let me ask you something… Can you really see me?" he inquired. I gave a small nod, and so did Link. "We sure can," he answered. Yerbal became excited. "Is that so? Well then, slap yourselves on the back, kwwwrk! You know, some Kikwis can't even see me these days," he said with excitement.

"But forget about all that nonsense and tell me, kwwwrk, what business do a couple of real live humans have in these woods?" he asked. I spoke up. "Well, he and I are looking for a sacred flame. We need it to make our swords stronger and save our friends," I answered. Yerbal sounded slightly surprised. "You two are out questing for a flame to enhance your swords, kwwrk? So that you can find some people important to you, eh?" he asked, in thought.

"How about that… Humans who can see me and seek a great flame, kwwwrk!" he murmured. Yerbal paused for a moment, and asked us a question. "Listen, do you two promise not to breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you to another soul? I'm serious, kwwwrk!" he warned. Link nodded. "Yeah, we promise," he replied, giving Yerbal assurance.

Yerbal nodded. "Alright, I'll tell you. But remember—it's a secret to everybody," he said. I chuckled at Yerbal's choice of words, and he went on. "The flame that you two seek… is most likely Farore's Flame. Yes, yes… Farore's Flame… That story begins very long ago, when the goddess was still with us, kwwwrk…The goddess gave the flame to the Water Dragon, a great spirit that presides over Faron Woods," he explained as he recounted his memory.

"The way I hear it is she left the flame in the care of the Water Dragon so that one day the mighty dragon could pass it on to the "ones from the sky"… You see, I've got a hunch that the goddess was talking about you, lads. Well, that settles that. You two must seek out the mighty Water Dragon. Her lair is deep in a lake in the south of these woods, kwwwwwwwrk. She watches over the flame there," he continued.

Link spoke up. "So, we just have to go to the lake? That doesn't seem too hard," he said. Yerbal spoke up after Link's comment. "There's a problem, though. The gate that leads to that lake is sealed shut to all those judged unworthy…But don't worry, kwwwwrk. I'll let you two in on the trick to opening the gate," he said.

Link spoke up again a little after he said that. "Well, what's the trick?" he asked politely. Yerbal paused for a second. "To open the gate, you have to channel the power of the goddess into the symbol carved into its doors, kwwwrk! Oh, but it isn't so simple! The symbol is incomplete. To unlock the gate, you must make the symbol whole," he said, seeming to recall the words.

"The only way you'll know what the completed symbol should look like is to first find that same completed symbol somewhere else in these woods," he said. After he said that, Link turned to me, and smiled. "Or, if you've got a friend that already knows what the symbol looks like," he said. I nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Link. I already know what the symbol is supposed to be; it's just Farore's symbol," I replied, smiling a little as well.

Link gave a small nod. "Yeah, I think I know what you're talking about, Samuel. It's kind of fuzzy, but I remember passing a mark on the ground when we went into the Deep Woods last time. I'm guessing that's Farore's symbol, right?" he asked. I was going to answer with a yes, but Yerbal spoke up before I could.

"You already know where you must go to find the symbol you seek?" he asked. "Yeah, we got it," I nodded. Yerbal nodded back. "Then I wish you both safe travels, lads," he said, sounding finished. I gave a quick wave goodbye, and turned away from Yerbal to head off. However, he stopped me.

"Oh, wait up! I forgot to mention this earlier, but it's important. Her Excellence, the Water Dragon, is _very _persnickety about manners… So watch yours! I've heard stories of folks who caught her in a fussy mood. They ended up as midmorning snacks, kwwwwrk!" he warned. I turned around, and smiled. "Don't worry; we'll be nice to her. See you around," I calmly said before he could say anything else.

I walked to the edge of the tree, and Link followed me. I heard Yerbal say something about him napping if we needed him again, but I didn't listen. Instead, I pulled out my Sailcloth, and beckoned Link over. "Come on, Link. Let's head to the gate," I said. Before Link could respond, I jumped off the tree, and started falling towards the ground. Before I hit the ground, I let my Sailcloth fly, and it broke my fall. A few seconds later, Link joined me on the ground.

Link and I put our Sailcloths away, and we started making our way to Lake Floria. On our way there, Link spoke up. "Okay, Samuel. I've got a question. Just who is this goddess named Farore? I know she's in the name of the song that we learned at the Isle of Songs, and the person whose mark we have to draw, but what makes her so important?" he inquired, somewhat ignorantly.

I turned to him. "You don't know who Farore is, Link? Didn't you learn about the three Golden Goddesses in the Knight Academy or something like that?" I asked, confused. Link shook his head. "Wait a minute. Golden Goddesses? I know that there's Hylia and the gods of old from the legends, but there's more goddesses than that?" he asked.

I shook my head. If Link didn't know who the Golden Goddesses were, it could be very confusing for him later on when Zelda explained the Triforce to him. So, I thought I should at least tell him the basics of things. "No, Link. The gods of old _are_ the Golden Goddesses. I guess it's just a different name for them. One of the goddesses is Farore, the goddess of courage. Another is Din, the goddess of power. And the last one is Nayru, the goddess of wisdom," I listed the three off.

"These three goddesses basically created the entire world and all of its inhabitants, and left for the heavens. And, that's basically it," I half-lied. I didn't want to bring up the subject of the Triforce to Link, because I was pretty sure it would lead to problems. I didn't want to spoil anything by accident, so I decided to leave it at that. "Okay. So, let's recap on the current situation. All we need to do is go to Lake Floria and draw the symbol of the goddess of courage, Farore, on a gate. Any questions?" I asked, looking at Link a bit expectantly.

Link thought for a moment, and shook his head. "Nope, I think I understand everything you've told me. Now, let's get going," he replied. I gave a small sigh of relief. _"Thank Hylia that Link didn't ask me anything else. With my luck, I would_ _let something important slip up," _I thought to myself. I put the thoughts aside for now, and Link and I continued our trek through Faron Woods.

After a few minutes of walking (and a bunch of dead monsters), Link and I eventually arrived at the gate leading to Lake Floria. We strode up to it, and I stared at the incomplete mark of Farore: there were two crescent moons on the right side, but the circle wasn't there. I was about to speak up to Link, but Fi came out of his sword before I could.

"Masters, my calculations indicate there is an 80% probability that a sacred flame lies beyond this gate. I have also deduced that the power of the goddess the Kikwi hermit referred to is in fact the Skyward Strike. One of you must charge your sword while standing in front of the gate and use its energy to draw the missing portion of the symbol," she stated. When neither of us answered, she dissipated back into Link's sword.

When Fi was gone, Link turned to me. "You know, I don't mean to sound rude, but can she honestly not hear what's going on outside? I don't think so, because we've said that about two or three times already. It's like we're children, the way she repeats things we already know like we don't know them," he said, a somewhat irritated look on his face.

I nodded. "Yeah, you could definitely say that," I huffed. Honestly, I don't know why Fi was like that. She wasn't as bad as Navi, but it was _definitely _annoying that she kept repeating information we already knew. Also, the percentage thing _did _get pretty annoying after a while. "Well, I guess all that's left to do is open the gate. Do you want to draw the symbol, Link, or should I?" I asked, turning away from the subject of Fi.

Link reached for his sword. "I'll do it," he offered. I nodded, and stood back a few feet. Link raised his sword to the sky, and began charging up a Skyward Strike. When his sword was completely charged, he pointed it forward, and pressed it against the gate. Then, he drew a circle using the light from his sword. It wasn't perfect, but when Link stood back from the gate, I could see a circle of light where the circle in Farore's symbol should have been.

Link's circle remained for a second, but it eventually disappeared. After a second, a perfect circle of light replaced Link's, completing the symbol. It faded away after another second, and the gate in front of us split apart, revealing the entrance to Lake Floria. Link sheathed his sword, and looked back to me. "Okay, Samuel. Let's go," he said, gesturing forward.

I nodded, and followed Link down the newly opened hallway. When we came out of it, we were standing on a balcony overlooking the lake itself, as well as a few waterfalls. I looked around for a moment, taking it all in. It was just plain beautiful. Link and I stood there sightseeing for a few moments, but I eventually broke the silence.

"You ready, Link?" I asked. Link turned to me, and nodded. "I'm ready as I'll ever be." I replied with a small nod, and reached into my pouch for my ocarina. I played Saria's Song again so that Link and I would be able to communicate underwater, and sent a test message to Link. _"Okay, Link. On three. One…Two…Three!" _I thought to him.

As soon as I reached three, I quickly put my ocarina back, and then I dove over the edge. Link soon followed, and we began plummeting toward Lake Floria.

**Well, that's it! Once again, sorry if this chapter was lacking in some way, but this is the first chapter I've personally typed ever since the hiatus started. Anyway, as always, if you've got any suggestions, comments, or any other things to say, then leave a review or shoot me a PM. As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next chapter! Bye! :D**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hey, readers! It's time for Chapter Thirty-Six! This chapter will once again be in Samuel's POV, and it will finally, finally go into Lake Floria, and end with the start of the Ancient Cistern. As always, thanks to ToonLink, CassIE-Ray, Guest, and TheSunsetWolf for reviewing last chapter, and thanks to PhantasmicFire323 for beta reading this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! Bye! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-Six: One Does Not Simply Keep A Dragon Waiting**

(Samuel's POV)

Link and I continued falling in a dive, heading straight for the lake below. I soon hit the water, somewhat painfully, and I felt myself go under as water swarmed up around me. I returned to the surface after a second, and waited for Link to resurface as well. He eventually did, and we took a gander at our surroundings for a moment. We were now inside Lake Floria. There were the waterfalls that we had seen before, as well as a new path that led in the opposite direction.

There was a strong current that suddenly began to pull Link and I towards the new path. I knew that that was where we had to go next, so I just let the current do the work. "Hey, Link! Don't fight against the current, because this is where we need to go next!" I said, looking over to him.

Link nodded, and ceased his attempt to try and swim against the current. After a few seconds of being dragged through the water, the current subsided, and Link and I were left in a stream that we could easily swim through. I slipped underwater, and began swimming along the stream. Link copied me, and we both continued along the stream's path together.

As we swam, I heard Link's voice in my head. "_So, now what? All we have to do is find the Water Dragon, get into the next temple, and get Farore's Flame? That doesn't seem too hard_," he said. I shook my head, responding back to him, "_Well, it's not exactly that easy, Link. There are some things we have to do before we even get into the next temple_," I replied, thinking of how we would have to revisit Skyview Temple to get the Sacred Water for Faron.

Link looked confused. "_There's even more stuff we have to do? Like what?_" he asked. I was going to respond to him, but at that moment, we were dumped off of a small waterfall, landing in some more water. I glanced ahead, and saw Jellyf, a Parella, bobbing in the water ahead of us. She basically looked like a cross between a seahorse and a jellyfish; personally, I preferred the Zoras over the Parella simply because they looked cooler, but that didn't really matter right now.

"Ack! More humans! OK, OK... I just have to avoid eye contact and back away slowly..." she said. Jellyf began to swim away from us, and I became slightly offended. "_Oh, come on! We're not that bad! We won't bite!_" I thought sarcastically. I heard Link's voice in my head after I thought that. "_Yeah, seriously. What's her problem? For that matter, what is that thing, Samuel?_" he asked. We swam after Jellyf, going down underwater as we did so. As we continued, I explained Parella to Link.

"_Those are called Parella, Link. They're kind of like Kikwis in a sense. All they do is swim around in the water, and serve the Water Dragon. They're basically harmless_," I shrugged. Link nodded. "_Okay. Let's see if we can get her to talk to us. Maybe she can help us find the Water Dragon_," he replied. I nodded back as we continued following Jellyf.

We eventually came to a small wooden mesh of a gate underwater, and Jellyf turned to face us. "_Quit following me, you pests! If you don't move along, I'll be forced to tell Her Excellence the Water Dragon about your little incursion!_" she snapped. I chuckled. "_Yeah, and what is she going to do to us? Because last I checked, she's sitting in a basin, injured from Ghirahim and probably Evil Jack as well_," I thought.

Of course, Jellyf didn't hear my remark, so she turned away from us and swam through a small hole in the gate. When she was on the other side, she started to taunt Link and I. "Ha-HA! Didn't see that coming, did you? Yep, there's no way you two are going to be able to follow me now! So, what now? Are you two going to cry? If you guys think you can make it through, just go ahead and try!" she said with a hiss.

I smirked at her remark. "_Yeah, we'll do more than try, just you wait. Watch me, Link. If you twist your body in a spiraling motion, then the Water Dragon's Scales will let us do a spin attack. It's actually pretty cool,_" I thought, glancing in his direction. Link gave a small nod. "_Yeah, I remember you mentioning that when we got the scales. So, go ahead_," he replied.

I turned away from Link, facing the wooden gate. After backing up a little bit, I swam towards Jellyf, and started turning my body in a spiral as fast as I could. I was going decently fast on my own, but the Water Dragon's Scale helped me spin way faster than normal. I smashed into the wooden gate with a bunch of force, and it shattered into splinters. Luckily, I wasn't hurt by them, but now I felt kind of dizzy from all of that spinning.

Jellyf looked at me, and gasped in shock. "GAH! How is that even possible? I've never seen a human pull off a spin like that!" she shouted, astonished. Link swam over to us, and Jellyf took a closer look at our necks, where the Water Dragon's Scales were. "Wait... Those are Water Dragon's Scales! Does that make you two the emissaries of the goddess, like the Water Dragon said?" she asked quickly.

I nodded to Jellyf, and she suddenly had a lightbulb go off. "Hey! I've got an idea. Maybe you two can help Her Excellence!" she said. At that point Link spoke up. I couldn't hear exactly what he said, but I knew he must've said something like "What's wrong?" because Jellyf gave the response that matched the question. "Yeah, about that... It happened really recently. This weirdo came in here with another human like you two and a gang of monsters and went right after Her Excellence," she said, somewhat dramatically.

"My lady the Water Dragon is a fierce fighter, and, boy, did she gobble up most of those monsters in the first few seconds. Thing is, there were just so many of them! While she was distracted, the weirdoes leading all those creatures managed to wound her. She's healing up now, but she says we don't have enough special water for her to make a full recovery," she continued with a bit of a sigh.

"So could you two please go talk with Her Excellence and see if you can help her out?" she asked. I nodded. "Sure. We'll help," I replied with a bit of a smile, although it came out as a rapid stream of bubbles. Jellyf must've heard me, because she nodded. "I'll even take you two to her. Follow me!" she said, her voice holding a bit of excitement. She started to swim away from us, so Link and I followed her down the tunnel, picking up a few air bubbles along the way.

We eventually came to another wooden gate, so Link tried out a spin attack underwater, and smashed right through it. I heard his voice in my head after he was done. "_Wow. That was awesome, but now I feel really dizzy_," he said, as he placed a hand to his forehead. I chuckled, and we continued onward. Jellyf eventually led us to a huge cavern filled with water, Froak, a Bird Statue, and plenty more. She stopped in front of a huge boulder, and spoke up. "Huh? That's weird. I was expecting to meet up with my friend here... And the path is blocked with a huge boulder. Lovely. Now what do we do?" she questioned with a bit of sarcasm.

Link's voice sounded in my head. "_Hey, Samuel. I think I have an idea. I'm pretty sure that our Bombs won't work underwater, because they won't light. So, how about we use our spin attacks to knock those Froaks into the boulders? They blow up when they hit something solid, so I think that'll work. Am I right?_" he asked.

I nodded. "_Yeah, that's right. So, let's blow up some Froaks, I guess_," I thought back to him. Link nodded, glanced around, and swam over to the Bird Statue. "_Why would one of these be down here?_" I heard him think. I smiled a little, and swam over to him. I said my own prayer, and then I separated from Link and swam over to the other side of the cavern. I resurfaced for air after a second, and then dove back down into the water.

There was a Froak swimming near a boulder, and I knew that the boulder had 40 Rupees sitting behind it. So, I spun around as fast as I could, and did another spin attack. I felt myself bump into the Froak, but it didn't explode right there. Instead, it was sent backward from my attack, and bumped into the boulder. It exploded on impact, revealing the 40 Rupees.

I swam over to the money, and pocketed it. Then, I swam back over to the middle of the cavern, where another huge boulder from before was. I was about to blow it up as well, preparing myself near a Froak, because I knew there was a Silver Rupee under it. However, I heard a voice sound off in my head. "_Hey, Samuel! Are you coming?_" Link inquired. I looked across the cavern to see Link and Jellyf bobbing near the exit that Link had just opened.

I nodded. "_Yeah, I'll be right over! Just let me get this Silver Rupee!_" I responded, holding up a hand to say "wait" with body language. I turned back toward the boulder, spun myself into the Froak, and sent it tumbling into the huge boulder. It exploded on impact, and revealed the Rupee. I quickly swam over to it, pocketed it as well, and made my way back to Link and Jellyf. "_Alright. Let's go_, _Link._" I said. Link nodded, and the three of us swam out of the cavern, led by Jellyf.

Link, Jellyf, and I swam through a small tunnel, and came out in another small cavern. We broke the surface of the water, and, once again, I looked around. There was a gate separating the two halves of the cavern, which would pretty much force Link and I to do spin attacks and jump out of the water over it. Jellyf, however, swam right through the bars, and spoke to us. "Come on, come on! Hurry up!" she called to us.

I spoke up. "Um, there's a problem. We can't just swim through the gate like you can," I gestured to Link and I, once again sounding like I already didn't know what we had to do. Jellyf sounded confused when she replied. "Huh? You guys can't get through? Sheesh, you humans and your bones. Talk about inconvenient. I guess you can leap over the top of this wall if you have to," she suggested.

Link turned to me. "So, how do we jump over the gate, Samuel? Do we just do a spin attack, or do we have to do something else?" He questioned. I looked at the gate for a moment, and then back to Link. "Yeah, we have to do a spin attack, but we have to do it while swimming upward at the exact right time, or we won't get over it," I warned.

Personally, doing jumps like this in the water frustrated me so freaking much; it was pretty much the only thing I still had trouble doing in Skyward Sword. I could just never get the timing down right, and I would always crash into the wall a bunch of times before _finally_ clearing it. Plus, I was pretty sure that doing it in real life would be even more difficult.

I turned to Link. "Okay, let me give this a go. I'm not very good at doing these jumps, but let me try it out and see how it goes," I said. Link nodded. "Go ahead, Samuel. We've got plenty of time. It's not like Jack and Zelda are going to get killed if you don't make a jump the first time," he replied simply, giving me a little bit of a look.

I gave a small, strained, smile. "Yeah, thanks for telling me that," I muttered. Link didn't respond back, and I turned to the wall, pepping myself up. "_Okay. Here goes_," I thought. I started spinning my body as fast as I could, and felt myself pick up momentum. Then, I pointed my body upward slightly, trying to give my body a good arc to travel in. I felt myself leave the water for a brief moment, and then I splashed back into more water. I looked around at where I landed, and found myself on the other side of the gate with Jellyf. "_Yes!_" I thought, proud of myself.

Jellyf spoke up after I landed. "Wow! Perfect jump! I'd call you amazing, but I think we all know it was the Water Dragon's Scale that made that little stunt possible," she snickered. I snorted. "_Yeah, way to ruin my accomplishment_," I thought with a slight frown. I turned to Link. "Okay, Link. Your turn," I said. Link nodded, and ducked underwater. He started spinning, and came up in a graceful dive. However, he didn't get enough distance out of the jump, and his head smacked directly into the gate.

I heard Link's scream of pain when he banged into the gate. "Ow! Damn it!" he shouted. I gave a small smile, but quickly forced it to disappear. After all, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be smiling if I hit my head like that. I called out to Link. "You okay?" I asked. He nodded after a second. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. Let me try it again," he replied.

I nodded, and waited for Link to make his second attempt. He swam underwater again, and came back up in another spin attack. He flew through the air, and was successful this time. He flew right over the gate, splashing right next to Jellyf and I, and gave a whoop of joy. "Yes!" he shouted. I grinned. "Good job," I patted Link on the back. Link nodded with a smile. "Thanks," he replied. Jellyf congratulated Link as well, and then Link turned to me.

"And you said that you were bad at doing these, Samuel. You got yours on the first try! What were you worried for?" He asked. I shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought I wouldn't get it the first time, but I guess I got lucky. Either that, or it's easier to do it in real life than in the game," I responded. Jellyf spoke up after me.

"'In the game?' What do you mean?" she inquired. I froze for a quick second, because I forgot that Jellyf didn't know about the Zelda games. But, I threw her off the trail with a shake of my head. "It's not important. Can we go and see the Water Dragon now?" I asked, wanting to move forward. Jellyf nodded. "Sure. She's over this way," she replied, seeming to have forgotten what I said, and swimming off in her gestured direction.

Jellyf squeezed her way through a small crack in the wall ahead, and waited for us. I was about to follow her, but I abruptly remembered that there was a Goddess Cube nearby that I could get. I knew the chest for this particular cube contained a Gold Rupee, so I didn't want to pass it up. "Hey, Link. I'll be right back. There's a Goddess Cube that I want to get really fast. Okay?" I asked. "What's in it?" Link asked. "A Gold Rupee," I answered. Link smiled. "Sure, go ahead and get it; we could always use one more of those," he nodded.

I gave a nod in return, swimming forward. I did another spin jump, and rolling forward a bit, landed back on solid ground. Then, I turned and strode to my right. A few Chuchus sprang up in front of me, but they were gone within seconds. I continued along the right side of the chamber, killed some more Chuchus (including one that was as big as me), and crossed a small bridge to find a Goddess Cube waiting for me. I unsheathed my sword, charged a Skyward Strike, struck the cube with it, and sent the cube to the sky in a streak of purple light.

After the cube completely disappeared, I turned around, and returned to where Link was. He was standing near another Bird Statue, praying again. "_Man, when it comes to praying, Link doesn't mess around_," I thought, somewhat intrigued. Then again, he did have a bunch of stuff to be praying for, and so did I. I walked up to Link, and waited for him to be done with his prayer. After a moment, Link turned around, and saw I was standing there. "Oh. Samuel. I didn't see you there. Did you get the Goddess Cube?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, I got it," I answered.

Link gave a small nod. "Alright, then. Let's keep going," he suggested, turning back around. We jumped back into the water, where Jellyf was waiting for us. "Are you two ready?" she asked. I nodded. "Yeah, we're ready. We just had to get something small first," I replied with a shrug. Jellyf nodded, and swam underwater. Link and I followed her, and ducked underwater as well.

Jellyf led us to a small tunnel, and we made our way through it. After we came out of it, I spotted another gate that we would have to spin jump over. "_Great. More of this_," I thought sarcastically. Jellyf swam through the bars again, and Link and I managed to both jump over the gate on our first try. However, as soon as I hit the water again, I heard a screech come from Jellyf. "Yikes! Oh, they're back! That's one of the fish those weirdoes brought in here and used to attack Her Excellence! Watch out... They're as mean as they come!" she said, referring to the Cranioc that was close by.

I scoffed. "_Oh, come on. You've gotta be kidding me. Craniocs aren't hard to beat at all_," I thought. I heard Link speak up after my thought. "What is that thing, Samuel?" he questioned me. I glanced at the Crainoc for a moment, and then turned back to Link. "It's just a Cranioc, Link. They're really easy to beat. All we have to do is spin into them twice; once to flip it over, and a second time to finish it off," I replied.

Link stared at the Cranioc for a second. "And, that's it?" he asked. I shrugged. "That's pretty much it. They'll try to charge at you, so don't let your guard down," I warned. Link nodded, and dove underwater. I followed him, and we swam after the Cranioc. After a few seconds, the huge shark-like fish noticed us, and turned an alarming shade of red. It started to charge up an attack; however, seeing this, we swam out of its way.

The Cranioc charged forward in a fit of rage, but by the time it was ready, Link and I were far out of its reach. It smacked into a huge rock at the center of the room, and bounced back ward, stunning itself. It flipped over, practically begging one of us to get rid of it. Link was closer to it, so I told him to get it. "_Go ahead, and get it, Link. It should die with another spin attack_," I thought to him.

Link nodded, quickly charging forward with a spin attack. He slammed into the Cranioc, and killed it. The Cranioc exploded, leaving behind three hearts that we didn't need. Jellyf spoke up after the Cranioc was gone. "Wow! The goddess sure knows how to pick them! You guys did great!" she congratulated, even though I didn't actually do anything. But, I wasn't complaining. After her compliment, Jellyf led Link and I across the cavern we were in. She dove deeper underwater, and we arrived at a huge door.

"At last, we're here! Her Excellence the Water Dragon is just up ahead. Hang on just a second," she said. Link's voice sounded in my head when he took a closer look at the door. "_How is she going to open it? I don't see a keyhole_," he said. However, his question was answered when Jellyf inserted her head into the center of the door, and turned her body like you would a key.

I could hear Link's confusion in my head. "_What the-? How is that even-?_" he started, unable to finish a sentence. However, he gave up when the huge door opened, revealing the way to Faron. "Please, come in," Jellyf offered politely. She swam into the tunnel she'd opened, and Link and I followed her inside.

When we came out of the tunnel, Link and I were in a huge clearing that was larger than all the others we'd previously been in. The clearing was filled with nothing but water, some smaller fish, and about six or so more Parella floating near a huge pedestal in the middle of the clearing. "_Wow. This is beautiful_," I thought. The view was breathtaking. I heard Link chime in with me. "_Yeah, it sure is. I could stay here for a good while if I wanted to_," he agreed.

Link and I continued staring in awe at the cavern for a few more seconds before we realized that we still had important things we needed to do. So, I swam over to the center pedestal, and Link followed me. We climbed back onto solid ground, and I could see Faron sitting in her basin in the middle of the platform, injured. Link and I slowly walked up to her, not wanting to show any disrespect. "Excuse me, Your Excellence," I said, trying to sound proper.

Faron spoke up, apparently not caring that I was trying to be nice with her. "Ah! You there, humans! You have intruded into my home, a sacred place few are permitted to enter!" she snapped. I gave a small cough. "_Yeah, I think being legendary heroes of the goddess should make us qualify for that_," I thought. Faron went on. "This is no place for people such as you. And yet here you stand! You will explain how you got here, and quickly," she was practically hissing at us.

I spoke up again. "You're the Water Dragon, are you not?" I questioned. Faron nodded, "I am. Those with manners address me as Faron, warden of the woods. I was appointed by the goddess herself. Though my current stature is less than, well, intimidating, shall we say, know that you stand in the presence of a loyal servant of the goddess!" she spat.

After Faron was done with her speech, she took a closer look at Link and I, and saw the scales that we had hanging around our necks. "... Hmm? I say, those are some of _my_ scales you have there! Sacred gifts like those can only be carried by the goddess's chosen heroes. But could you really be them?" she asked, mostly to herself. "_Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure that we're the real deal, Faron_," I thought with a hint of annoyance.

"This raises questions. Even with those scales in your possession, finding my hall is no easy task... How did you find me?" she inquired. She thought for a second, and realized what must have happened. "Ah, yes... That cackling, old hermit Kikwi told you two where I live, didn't he? Honestly, I can't remember how many times I've told that scruffy thing to keep his mouth shut. That's the last straw. Next time I see him, he's dinner!" she shouted.

Faron paused for a moment, and went on. "Oh, but I digress. You two have come here seeking a sacred flame, have you?" she asked. "_Hmm... You know? I forget_," I thought sarcastically. Link nodded, and answered her. "Of course we have!" he replied honestly. Faron huffed. "I knew it," she muttered. She gave Link and I a once-over, and continued. "But I'll be straight with you. Shrimpy boys like you hardly look the part of the goddess's chosen heroes," she said, her voice heavy with her judgment.

I became offended. "_Hey! I might not be the most physically fit person on earth, but I'm certainly not shrimpy!_" I thought with frustration. Of course, Faron didn't hear me, so she went on. "There's no doubt about it. A test is in order to prove you two are everything you say you are," she said, her eyes now trained on us. She paused for a second, and started to explain.

"Shortly before your arrival, I was attacked by a pompous creature calling himself Ghirahim. I stood against this self-proclaimed Demon Lord, but I was wounded by his servant, a human not unlike you two, in the encounter," she said. "_Stupid Ghirahim. Stupid Evil Jack_," I thought. Faron went on. "The wounds he's given me are stubborn things. I have been forced to recuperate in this basin of sacred water," she stated.

As soon as Faron said "Sacred Water," I saw Link's face light up. However, Faron kept going. "Unfortunately, the healing properties of the sacred water have diminished, and I am now in need of another dose to freshen up my healing bath. Bring me the container of fresh sacred water that I require. Do me this favor, and I'll gladly show you two where to find the sacred flame you desire. What say you?" she questioned.

Link spoke up before I could. "You got it!" he replied, determination clear in his voice. He turned to me. "Samuel, I think I actually remember where the water we need to find is! It's in Skyview Spring, isn't it? It's the same kind of water we used to wash up after the fight with Ghirahim and Jack, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. You're right. But, getting the water isn't exactly going to be easy, because we now we have to go all the way back through Skyview Temple to get it," I replied with a mental sigh. Faron nodded. "If you continue down this way, you will find an exit back to the woods," she said. We nodded, and Faron continued. "Excellent. Now run along. One does not-"

"_Simply keep a dragon waiting. Yeah, I know_," I thought, completing Faron's sentence in my head. After Faron was done, Link and I said goodbye to her. We were about to walk away from her, but Link suddenly gasped. "Samuel! Wait a minute!" he said, stopping me with his arm. I rammed into his arm, and my breath was efficiently knocked away for a second. After regaining my breath, I glanced back at Link. "What is it, Link?" I asked.

Link grinned. "You said we had to go through Skyview Temple again to get the Sacred Water?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. We have to go through it again," I replied, giving him a bit of an odd look. Link shook his head. "No, we don't," he stated. I was confused. "What do you mean?" I questioned. Link pointed to my pouch. "And you're the person that's supposed to know everything, Samuel. Did you forget about your ocarina? You can just teleport to the end of Skyview Temple and get the water right now!" he said excitedly.

When I heard Link's words, I facepalmed. Hard. "_Wow. Wow. Just wow. How in Nayru's name can I be so stupid? I should have thought of that before we even arrived here! It's so freaking simple!_" I thought, once again frustrated. I picked my head out of my palm, reached into my pouch, and pulled out my ocarina. "Thanks a bunch, Link. You've just saved us a whole lot of time. I'll be right back, okay? Just wait here. I don't know, make small chat with Faron or something," I suggested with a shrug.

Link gave another small smile. "Alright, I will. See you in a bit, then," he said, slightly sarcastically. I smiled, and played the Minuet of Forest. I thought of Skyview Spring, and felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness. Green light completely obscured my vision for a moment, and then it completely faded away. I felt my feet touch the ground, and I looked around at where I was; I was back in Skyview Spring.

"_Good. This saves Link and I whole bunch of time_," I thought, thinking of everything I had just skipped over, including three Stalfos in the room behind me. I put my ocarina back into my pouch, and looked inside it. I had two bottles in my pouch, but both of them had something inside. One had a Fairy, and the other held some Heart Potion. I knew I could just buy Heart Potion in Skyloft, so I took out the bottle filled with it, uncorked it, and chugged it down.

After swallowing the last of the potion, I strode over to the edge of the water. I knew that in the game, the Sacred Water was supposed to only be in the back of the spring. But, I knew that that wasn't true, because this water had healed Link and I before. So, I knew it was Sacred Water. I scooped my bottle down, and filled it up with the water. Then, I corked it back up, and returned it to my pouch.

Once that was completed, I remembered that there was another Goddess Cube behind the spring. I honestly don't know how Link and I had missed it before, because we were literally thirty yards from it when we were here the first time. But, it didn't matter now, because I was going to get it. So, I went behind the statue of Hylia, and walked over to the Goddess Cube. I then lifted my sword, charged a Skyward Strike, and sent the cube to the sky.

After the cube was gone, I sheathed my sword again. "_Okay. Now you just have to get back to Link and Faron_," I told myself. I took my ocarina back out, and raised it to my mouth. There was only one song I could think of that would take me back to Lake Floria: the Serenade of Water. I remembered that the last time I played the song, it didn't work, probably because I hadn't been to Lake Floria yet. Now, however, that wasn't the case.

So, I blew into the ocarina, and played the calming tune. After the song was completed, I thought of exactly where I had left off, which was in Faron's chamber. After a second, I once again felt myself leave the ground. The weightless feeling returned, and this time, a blue light obscured my vision instead of a green one. However, the light and the feeling both faded after a second or two. When the light cleared, I was standing directly in front of Link and Faron.

Link spoke up after I materialized. "Did you get the water, Samuel?" he asked, looking expectantly at me. I nodded, and reached back into my pouch. I pulled out my newly-acquired Sacred Water, and showed it to Faron. "Here you go, Your Excellence. This _is_ Sacred Water, right?" I asked, not wanting to get it wrong and look like an idiot.

Faron stared at my bottle for a second, and I saw her face lift up. "Yes! Just look at that color. There's no doubt this is the water I need. Quickly, boy, pour it into my basin!" she urged. I nodded, and uncorked the bottle of water. Then, I held it over Faron's basin, turning it upside down. All of the water poured out, and Faron ducked inside the basin.

After a few seconds, the basin began to shake violently back and forth. I noticed the area around us started to darken as well. Suddenly, the shaking stopped, and an awkward silence pierced the air. "Um, what's happen-" Link started. However, he was abruptly cut off when Faron suddenly erupted from the basin in her full form. She gave a mighty roar, and hovered in the air. Link and I stared at her in awe.

"Mmmmmm! Exquisite! I can feel its energy surging through me!" Faron shouted, success in her voice. "_Um, okay. That didn't sound weird at all_," I thought sarcastically. Faron continued with her speech. "Behold the full majesty of Faron, Water Dragon and guardian of these lands! I stand tall... Healed and whole once again!" she stated clearly. Faron looked down at me, and started to thank me. "Human. You have done well to bring me the sacred water I asked you for," she continued.

"I see now that it was no coincidence that you both completed the goddess's trial and obtained Water Dragon's Scales. In turn, I will grant you two the favor you have asked of me and lead you to the sacred flame of my land. Come," she finished. Link and I both nodded, and Faron led us out of her chamber to the entrance of the Ancient Cistern. When we got there, she looked down at Link and I. "Now... Behold," she said.

Faron turned towards the waterfall that was blocking the entrance, and held her hands out. "Hah-hmm..." she muttered. Faron concentrated for a few seconds, and built up a huge strike by pulling her hands back. "_Ka... me... hah... me... hah_!" I thought as she did the motion. Faron eventually slammed her hands into the waterfall, and it stopped pouring at once, revealing the entrance to the next temple.

When her work was complete, Faron turned back to Link and I. "Go. The sacred flame you seek lies within this place. However, while the waterfall has barred entrance to this place for many years, monsters have still found a way in... And inside they still flourish," she stated. Then, she gave a small chuckle. "Ah, but you are the goddess's chosen heroes. Swatting a few monsters will be no trouble for you. I imagine you and I will cross paths again. Until then, do not lower your guards," she added, warning us.

Link and I nodded. "We won't," we said at the same time. Faron nodded back to us. "Then farewell, boys," she said. Faron then spun around in a circle, and flew upward, eventually falling out of sight. Once she was gone, I turned to Link. "Come on, then. Let's get going," I said. Link nodded, and we both dove into the small pond in front of us. We swam underwater for a moment, and then did spin jumps to get ourselves onto the stairs leading into the Ancient Cistern.

Once we were at the very entrance to the temple, facing the darkness that the stairs led down to, Link spoke up. "Well, are you ready, Samuel?" he asked. I briefly thought about the cistern itself, our experiences so far today, Sparrot's vision from before, and what probably awaited us in the boss room. "_Here we come, Jack_," I thought. After my moment of thinking, I went back to reality and answered Link. "Yeah, Link. I'm ready," I replied. Link nodded, and started walking down the staircase. I followed him, ignoring the drops of water drizzling down upon me, and we both walked into the Ancient Cistern.

**And, that's it! Hopefully, this chapter was awesome for you guys! Remember to leave a review on the way out if you've got anything to say! I'm not the type of guy to reject constructed criticism, if you have any ways for me to improve with my writing. So, if you've got anything to say, say it! Anyway, I guess that's it for now! I'll try and keep up with posting one chapter a week, so I'll try and publish the next chapter next Wednesday if I can. So, I'll see you all then! Bye! :D**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hey, readers! It's sslamajama97! First off, I'd like to apologize for getting this chapter out two days late. I've had some other stuff going on right now, and I'm also getting ready for Symphony of the Goddesses in Baltimore tomorrow, July 27(If you're going there, try and find me! I'll be dressed as Link, and there's even a hint as to what I look like hidden somewhere in this chapter. I won't tell you where it is, though. Muwhahahah!). So, I've had a lot on my plate, and didn't have a bunch of time to write the past couple of days. Sorry. **

**Anyway, now it's time for Chapter Thirty-Seven! This chapter will be from Samuel's POV, and it'll start up Link and Samuel's journey through the Ancient Cistern. I hope you all enjoy it! As always, thanks to TheSunsetWolf, ToonLink, Skylofti, CassIE-Ray, and 2 Guests for reviewing last chapter! And, of course, big thanks to PhantasmicFire323 for beta reading this chapter for me! So, thanks to you as well! Okay, then! Enjoy! :D**

**Actually, don't enjoy just yet. I just wanted to take a quick second to tell you guys that if you want to send in a drawing to me so I can use it as the cover picture, send it to this address: teammagepowerss-at -gmail-.-com(remove the -. Also, don't send me anything EXCEPT the picture. If you want to ask me a question, PM me). All you have to do is make sure that it's in a format supported by this site, and to make it look awesome! I'm not looking for anything special: just a picture of Samuel, Link, and Jack will do, although I'm not going to reject your picture if it isn't that. I'll look at all of the submissions, and my favorite will be the cover picture for this story! And, just in case you need a description of what Sam and Jack look like, I'll put it after this chapter.**

**Okay, **_**now**_** you can enjoy! Bye! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo does. I own all OC's I make up.**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: That's What Friends Are For**

(Samuel's POV)

Once Link and I walked out of the tunnel, we paused for a moment and took a good look around at the place we had arrived in. The Ancient Cistern was basically a huge pond with a few Lily pads scattered around the water. However, I knew there was much more than that. In the center of the room, there was a giant statue, with a slightly-creepy looking face, staring down at us. At the bottom of the statue, there was a locked door that we couldn't access yet.

I kept gazing around the room, spotting a few more things. There were some doors that obviously led to other places, and there were also some branch-like things that I knew could be swung across once Link and I acquired our Whips. I looked upward, and noted a couple of Furnix, or giant birds with chains attached to their tails, flying around the cistern. There was also a waterfall that flowed off to the left of the cistern, but other than that, there wasn't anything too exciting to see.

I noticed a Bird Statue directly to my left, and decided to say a quick prayer at it. Link joined me a second later, and after another moment of silence, he spoke up. "Okay, Samuel. So, where do we have to go first?" he asked. I turned away from the statue, answering him. "Let's head to the right of the temple for now," I responded, waving my arm in said direction. Link nodded, and we went off, following the path along the right side of the cistern.

A couple of regular Chuchus jumped up in our way, but they weren't really much trouble for us to deal with. A couple of sword slashes later, they were completely gone. Link and I continued forward, and eventually came upon a small gate that was locked by a nearby wall switch. A huge Chuchu suddenly decided to spring up in front of us, and we forced to slay it as well. After it dissipated, I ran, jumped up, grabbed the wall switch, and pulled it down with my weight, opening the gate on my left.

After the gate was unlocked, Link opened the door it was guarding, and we walked into a new room. We strode forward to a small ledge, and glanced around the area. The room was pretty small, at least in my opinion. All that it really contained was a water geyser that could lead us up to another platform, and a small pond at the bottom that contained a few Lily pads. The only interesting things I could see were a small chest across the room that I knew contained a small key, and a couple of Skulltulas on the left side of the room. We couldn't get to the chest just yet, so I kept scanning the small room.

After my quick look-around, I jumped off of the ledge Link and I were standing on, and fell towards the Lily pads. I felt my feet hit one, but the momentum from my fall caused it to flip over, sending me underwater with a splash. I still had my Water Dragon's Scale around my neck, so I could breathe just fine. I waited for Link to catch my drift, and he joined me under the water a second later.

Once Link dove into the water next me, we swam out from underneath the Lily pads, and made it back to solid ground. We climbed up onto the ground, and I heard Link speak up. "What was the point of those Lily pads being there? They just seemed to slow us down," he said. Of course, I already knew that the Lily pads weren't just there for decoration, and would play a part in some puzzles later on; flipping them over like we had just done was actually a clue of what we had to do. I didn't want to spoil Link with the exact answer, so I just shrugged. "They'll just help us solve a puzzle later on in the dungeon. They're not super important," I replied simply.

Link gave a small nod. "Oh, okay. I was just wondering about them is all," he said a bit quietly. I nodded back, and we walked over to the two Skulltulas that I'd mentioned before. They were both attached to their own separate webs, and one was in front of the other. So, that meant we could just focus on killing them one at a time, and not be swarmed by both of them. I unsheathed my sword, and slashed at the first web, trying to get the Skulltula to come down. After a few strikes, the huge spider dropped to the ground, and landed in front of me.

I didn't waste any time, and quickly did an upward slash, flipping the spider over and revealing its weak point. I jumped up into the air, swung my sword around, and stabbed down into the Skulltula, killing it with a Fatal Blow. It crumbled into blackness, and exploded. It didn't leave anything behind, so Link took that as an excuse to go after the second one. He got it down off of its web with a couple swings of his sword, and repeated the same technique I used from before.

After Link's Skulltula vanished with a Fatal Blow of his own, he turned to me. "Is that it?" he questioned. I nodded. "Yeah, let's go into the next room," I replied, already knowing the puzzle that awaited us inside the room. Link nodded, turning around, and we both walked into the next room. However, there wasn't much to see inside the room; the only thing that was there was a stone tablet, some grass, and a door that was locked by a gemstone puzzle.

I already knew the combination that would open the door: up, down, left, right. It was a pretty simple combination, even if the method to figure it out took some time. Actually, the combination itself was so simple that my younger brother actually managed to get it right without actually finding the clues; he just did trial and error, and got it after only three or four tries.

I knew that we could either do this puzzle the right way, and waste our time swimming around, finding the clues that led to the combination I already knew, or I could just be cheap, give Link the combination right now, and we could move on. For a second, I considered doing another challenge with Link; maybe he would have to solve the puzzle on his own in a fixed amount of time?

Eventually, I decided against doing that. _"No, Samuel. You've got more important things to do right now. Focus on saving Jack," _I told myself firmly. I didn't want to just give Link the answer, but when I thought about it some more, I decided that it was for everyone's benefit that Link and I should just get through the temple as quickly as possible, even if it meant being a little cheap. In the end, Jack was way, _way _more important than doing every single puzzle the right way.

So, I decided to just get the puzzle over with, and turned to Link, who was reading the sign on his left. "Strike the gemstones pointing in four directions wisely. The way will only open for those who the temple's secret order," he read. He then turned to me. "I'm guessing that you already know the order, don't you, Samuel?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, Link. I already know it. You don't mind if we just skip this puzzle, do you? I'm pretty sure that Zelda and Jack wouldn't mind it, because it means we get to them faster," I replied, facing Link.

Link nodded. "Yeah. It would be stupid to waste any more time than we have to, so I say we should just get to the end of this temple as fast as we can. You'll hopefully be closer to freeing Jack from Ghirahim, and I'll be closer to seeing Zelda again," he replied. I nodded, and turned back to the gemstone switch. I drew my sword, and swung it at the switch four times: downward, upward, to the right, and then to the left, hitting the switch in the correct order.

After my final slash, the gemstone switch spun around a bunch of times, and vanished in a small flash of light, unlocking the door. I leaned down, and lifted the door upwards. Link walked through the doorway, and I followed him into the next room, which was pretty much identical to the other rooms in terms of style: water, Lily pads, and vine walls. However, I looked upward, and noticed a couple of Skulltulas hanging from the ceiling.

I pointed out the giant spiders to Link quietly, and we both pulled out our Beetles to deal with them. I sent mine towards the Skulltula at the far end of the room, and Link went for the one nearest us. After our Beetles cut the Skulltulas' threads, they were both sent plummeting into the water below. When the Skulltulas hit the water, they both sank to the bottom, drowning themselves, and eventually disappeared entirely.

"Follow me," I said. Link nodded, and we both hopped across the Lily pads, eventually coming to a vine wall with a Walltula on it. After Link finished off the small spider with his Slingshot, I told him to wait on the Lily pad we were standing on, because we would be leaving the room in a second. "Alright," he replied. I then climbed up the vine wall, and walked over to my left.

I was standing over another Lily pad, and its roots were blocking the way out of the room. So, I jumped off of the platform, and flipped the Lily pad over using the momentum from my fall. I ducked underwater again, and I heard a splash come from my left, telling me that Link had joined me. I swam over to the exit of the room, and picked up a red Rupee in the process. Link followed me, and we made our way through a small tunnel.

After spin-attacking through a bunch of wooden gates (which felt like going on the worst amusement park ride _ever_), and nearly losing my glasses once, Link and I made it out of the tunnel, and swam over to a small vine wall. We climbed out of the water, and caught our breaths for a second. I tried to shake away the dizzy feeling that I had gotten from doing all of those spin attacks, and questioned Link if he was alright. "You…okay…Link?" I asked between breaths. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine. Actually, _I'm _the one that should be asking that question, Samuel. You look like you're about to throw up from all of those spin attacks. Are _you_ okay?" he asked. I nodded, and walked over to a wall. I decided to sit down for a minute, and wait for the nauseating spinning to stop. Link sat down beside me, and we both took a small break. Eventually, after about two minutes, I felt like I could stand up again. I slowly stood back up, and Link followed suit. I took a deep breath. "Okay, I think I'm good now. You?" I glanced at Link.

He nodded. "I'm fine. I've been fine. Are you ready to keep going?" he asked, throwing the question back at me. I nodded. "Yeah, let's go," I replied. Link nodded, eyed me for a short moment, and then we walked over to the door in front of us. Link lifted it up this time, and we walked back into the room that was before the gemstone puzzle. However, now we were right in front of the chest. I ran over to it, opened it up, and collected the small key that was inside.

After pocketing the key, Link and I jumped down off of the platform, and walked over to the water geyser that I'd mentioned before. Link was ahead of me, so he jumped into the geyser, and it pushed him upward onto another platform. I copied him, and the water pushed me up onto the platform as well. Once Link and I were both safely on the platform, we continued onward.

A Deku-baba sprung up in front of us, so I whipped out my sword, slashed through it, and earned myself a blue Rupee. I pocketed the money, and Link and I made our way to the door that led out of the room. I opened it up, and we walked back into the main room of the temple. "Come on. We need to get inside that statue," I said, gesturing towards it. Link nodded, and we both dove into the water, swimming over to said statue.

I did another spin attack, and jumped out of the water. I landed right in front of the locked door, and Link followed suit. Then, we walked over to the door, and I stood in front of it for a second, thinking about the Stalmaster that awaited us inside. I was actually slightly scared about fighting the Stalmaster, because they were basically like Stalfos, but much worse. And, the last time Link and I fought one of those didn't exactly go smoothly. _"Now I don't think we should've skipped over Skyview Temple again. Three Stalfos at once might've been good practice for this," _I thought, scolding myself a little.

Eventually, I calmed myself down, and reached into my pouch. I pulled out my small key, stuck it into the lock, and turned it. The lock clattered to the ground, and Link lifted up the door for us to get through. We walked inside the statue, and I remembered that we wouldn't have to fight the Stalmaster just yet; Fi would tell us about the door at the top of the statue first. I looked upward at the ceiling for a quick second, and then down at the floor below us.

I could see the pile of bones that would form the Stalmaster right in the middle of the floor, which only made me scared again; my stomach started twisting with nerves and fear. After a few seconds, Fi suddenly popped out of Link's sword, right on schedule. "Masters, I have taken the liberty to confirm that a door is located at the uppermost section of this statue. The lock is unfamiliar to me," she stated. Link nodded. "Thanks, Fi," he said, with a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice. Fi returned to his sword without another word, and Link turned to me.

"So, are you ready to keep going, Samuel?" he questioned, thoughtfully. I nodded. "Yeah, let's go," I replied. I took out my Sailcloth, and jumped down to the lower floor. Link did the same, and we both gently landed on the ground, right in front of the pile of bones. I quickly put my Sailcloth away, and drew my sword. When Link noticed what was laying on the ground, as well my sudden action, he copied me.

Link and I stared at the pile of bones for another second before it shuddered to life and rose off of the ground. The bones connected into a skeleton with four arms wearing golden armor, and the Stalmaster that was now in front of us drew two swords. It advanced forward, holding up its swords to block. I quickly stepped forward, and slashed at the skeleton with my own sword. I managed to swing in the correct direction, and I hit it a few times before it attempted a counter slash with both of its swords.

Luckily, I managed to dodge the Stalmaster's strike, and I got away clean. Link was closest to the monster now, so he decided to give it a go. He stepped forward, and started his own onslaught. He swung his sword, and managed to damage the Stalmaster a few times, just as I had done. However, when the Stalmaster tried to counter, Link didn't get away in time. The monster's blades connected with Link, and he was sent backwards onto the ground.

"Link!" I shouted, worried. However, Link obviously wasn't giving up easily. He quickly got back up from the attack, and spoke up. "I'm fine, Samuel. Don't worry," he said quickly, keeping his attention on the enemy. I gave a quick nod, and then I charged at the Stalmaster, who was nearing me again. I looked at which way its swords were pointing, and slashed at the openings again. I connected all of my strikes, and jumped backward before it could do any damage to me. _"See, Samuel? It's not as bad as you think. You and Link are _murdering _this thing," _I thought, cheering myself on a bit.

The Stalmaster stepped backward for a second after my attack, and it obviously wasn't going to fool around anymore. It reached to its sides with its two extra arms, and pulled out two more weapons: another sword, and a battle axe. _"Awesome," _I thought sarcastically. I looked over at Link, who looked surprised at the two new weapons. However, he didn't stay that way for long, because the Stalmaster went for him next.

There was only one opening that Link could hit now, so it would obviously be harder for him to connect with the monster. He took a chance, and swung his sword. However, it clanged against one of the Stalmaster's swords. Link tried again, and this time was successful. He connected once, and the Stalmaster immediately brought all of its weapons to the center of its body, preventing more attacks from Link and simultaneously preparing a counterattack. However, by the time it slashed outward, Link was already gone. He ran away from the Stalmaster, and went past me to the back of the room, where there were some skulls that I knew contained hearts.

I knew Link was damaged from the first attack from the Stalmaster, so I decided to let him heal up for a bit while I took it on. I ran forward, and waited for the Stalmaster to come close. When it did, I noticed that all four directions that I could slash in were blocked. However, there was nothing preventing me from stabbing at its center, so that's what I did.

I stabbed at the Stalmaster, but something unexpected happened when I did; my sword got stuck inside its ribcage. _"Crap," _I thought. I quickly tried to pull my sword out of the monster, but before I could, I felt huge pain on my chest and arms. The Stalmaster had slashed at me twice in a row, and because I was still trying to get my sword out of it, it connected both times. I was sent backward, and landed hard on the ground. I tried to get up, but the pain was so bad that I wasn't able to.

I could feel myself bleeding in a bunch of different parts of my body, and it hurt like hell. _"_Samuel? Samuel?!" I heard Link shout from across the room. I opened my mouth, and spoke up after a second. "I-I'm…I'm fine, Link," I managed to say through somewhat gritted teeth. It took every ounce of my energy and willpower to do it, but I managed to get on my feet and stand back up. Almost every part of my body was now aching with pain, and I could still feel my chest and right arm bleeding.

I still needed my sword back, so I raised my left arm, the one that wasn't in complete pain, and held it out towards the Stalmaster. I concentrated with all of my might, and, miraculously, my sword slowly dislodged itself from the monster's ribcage and flew into my hand._"Ew. I have to remind myself to wash this when we're done here," _I thought, my face scrunching up even more in disgust. The Stalmaster was too far away from me to land a quick blow on me, so I took the chance to try and heal myself as fast as I could.

I hurried over to the nearest skull, and slashed my sword at it. But, for some reason, the skull was completely empty. "Damn it," I muttered angrily. I quickly walked over to the next skull, and slashed at it. But, that one was empty too. _"What the freaking hell?! Why are all of these skulls empty?" _I thought in disbelief. I could feel the pain in my chest and right arm intensify with every slash I took, and at this rate, finding a heart wouldn't benefit me at all.

I heard a noise, and turned to see the Stalmaster advancing towards me again. Link was running forward, trying to help out, but it looked like the Stalmaster would reach me first. I didn't have anything else to do, so I raised my sword with the last of my strength, prayed to the goddesses, and slashed at the Stalmaster blindly, hoping for some kind of hit. I saw my sword connect with the Stalmaster, but it wasn't enough to defeat it. It was stunned for a split-second, but it quickly slashed back at me.

I knew I wouldn't be able to block the attack with my shield, because I knew there wouldn't be enough time for me to draw it. So, I closed my eyes, and braced myself. I felt a whole new wave of pain wash over me, and I was once again sent backward. I landed on the ground again, and I could barely see what was going on, because my vision was starting to blur. _"Oh, goody. Here we go again," _I thought.

Through the pain and the blurriness, I could see Link charging at the Stalmaster. He completely let loose, and slashed at that thing like there was no tomorrow. After a bunch of slashes by Link, the top of the Stalmaster's body fell off. _"Yes!" _I thought hazily.

After my thought, I could feel my strength start to leave me, just as it had in the Earth Temple. A few seconds after the Stalmaster disappeared, my vision completely blacked out. I could hear someone call out my name, but I could barely hear whoever it was through the darkness. I felt myself become weaker and drowsier, but I managed to sustain consciousness, even though I couldn't see anything, and I still didn't know where that voice was coming from.

I felt the pain in my body start to numb, and I started seeing visions of my life again. "Samuel! Hold on, I've got you!" I heard the voice say from nowhere. I heard some sounds that sounded like someone breaking something, but that's the last thing I heard. The visions of my life suddenly died, I felt myself lose consciousness, and I knew no more.

After what felt like two eternities, I felt myself waking up. I opened my eyes, and immediately noticed that something was different; when I had died before, I remembered everything being all white and misty, and I remembered feeling completely weightless. Not to mention, for some reason, I didn't have any clothes on. Now, however, I could see color above me. But, everything was still blurred, for some reason. Also, I could definitely tell that I was solid, and I was pretty sure that I was clothed, which was a relief.

I tried to stand up, but all I could manage was sitting up, because I felt so weak. As soon as I sat up, I heard a voice come from my left. "Samuel! Thank Hylia you're alright!" it spoke with relief. I turned to my left to see a huge green blob. I still couldn't make out what it was, but I assumed that it was the source of the voice I'd heard earlier.

The green blob came closer to me, and looked like it was bending over to get something off of the ground. The green blob walked closer to me, and reached down to my face. The blob put something onto my face, and as soon as it did, my vision instantly cleared up. Everything around me came into focus, including the green blob, which turned out to be Link standing above me. He had just put my glasses on.

"Link? What the-? How did you-? Why are you here? Did you die too?" I asked. Link shook his head, and bent down on his knees to get to my eye level. "No, Samuel. I'm fine. I didn't die, and neither did you. I managed to find a heart in the last of those skulls that were scattered around the room, and keep you from dying at the last second. You're not completely healed from the battle, but at least you didn't die and waste your Fairy," he replied.

As soon as Link said "battle", everything came rushing back to me: the Ancient Cistern, the battle with the Stalmaster, me getting my sword stuck, and all of the pain that he'd inflicted on me. My right arm and chest suddenly erupted in pain, and I cried out against my will. "Ow! Damn it!" I gasped. I couldn't help cursing; it hurt too much not to. I reached into my pouch with my left arm, and searched through it for a second. But, I suddenly remembered that I had wasted my Heart Potion to hold the Sacred Water for Faron. _"Well, that's just freaking great," _I sulked.

Link looked at me curiously, and guessed what had happened. "Oh, yeah. You had to use up your Heart Potion for Faron, right?" he asked knowingly. I nodded, and Link immediately reached into his own pouch. He pulled out his own bottle of Heart Potion, and held it out. "Here, Samuel. It'll be dangerous for you if you waste your Fairy here, so take it. That way, we'll both still have some kind of healing item," he offered. "Are you sure about that, Link? You'd waste your Heart Potion for me?" I questioned.

Link nodded, and uncorked the bottle. Then, he held it out again. "Of course I'm sure. I'd rather it be that way. Why wouldn't I? That's what friends are for, right?" he asked. I smiled, and he continued. "Now drink that, and let's keep going. Remember, we still need to find the first sacred flame to get to Zelda, and try to free Jack," he said, pushing the bottle into my hands. As soon as Link completed his sentence, I nodded, and chugged the Heart Potion down. After the potion was down, I instantly felt all of the pain in my body completely fade away.

I stood back up, and looked around; of course, we were still in the room where the Stalmaster had been, but now the door leading out of the room was unlocked. I pointed to the door. "Did you already get the whips out of the chest in there?" I asked. Link nodded, and pulled two whips out of his pouch. "Yeah, I think I did. These are the whips, right?" he asked, holding them up.

I nodded, and took one of the whips from Link's hand. My whip was like Link's, but it had some small differences. My whip was mainly made of silver, and I noticed that Link's was made mostly of gold. Other than that, they were exactly the same. I gave my whip a small crack, and answered Link. "Yeah, these are the whips. We can use them to swing across gaps, latch onto certain switches, and steal items. And, of course, we can use them as weapons as well," I said, explaining them a bit.

Link nodded, and gave his whip a crack to try it out. "Huh. That actually seems really cool. I think this might be my favorite item we've gotten yet," he said. I nodded back, and smiled. "Yeah, they are pretty cool. They're not my favorite, but they are awesome," I agreed. After my sentence, Link looked around the room. At the other end of the room, there was a switch that one of us would have to snag with our whip. The switch would create a water geyser that would carry us back up to the main part of the temple.

Link noticed the switch, and walked over it. He held up his whip. "So, if I'm right…" he said to himself, trailing off. He didn't complete the sentence, and swung his whip at the switch. The end of the whip latched onto the switch, and stuck there. Link then pulled back on the whip, and the switch spun around. I could hear water rushing through pipes, and a second later, a huge geyser of water shot out of a pothole in the ground, creating a way back to the rest of the temple.

Link pocketed his whip, and walked over to me. "Well, I guess I was right. You ready to keep going, Samuel?" he asked. I nodded, and put my own whip back in my pouch. "Yeah, let's go," I replied. Link and I walked over to the geyser of water, and I went inside it first. The water pushed me upward, and I was sent back to the middle of the statue. A second or two later, Link joined me.

After Link and I were both back where we started, I walked over to the other side of the statue, where there was another switch. I took my whip back out, and swung it. My whip clung to the switch, so I pulled it back, and another water geyser appeared. I beckoned to Link. "Come on, Link," I said, motioning for him to join me. Link made his way to where I was, and went inside the geyser I'd just opened. He was pushed up to the next floor by the water, and I followed him.

Once we were on the third floor, Link whipped another switch, and created one more geyser. He was going to go up the geyser, but I knew that it only led to the boss door, which we couldn't open yet. So, I spoke up to hold him back. "Hey, Link. Don't waste your time going up there. All that's up there is the boss door, and we can't open that yet. Let's go back outside," I suggested. Link complied, walking back over to me. "Okay. So, where do we have to go next?" he asked.

I strode over to a nearby door, and opened it up. "Out here," I replied. Link gave another small nod, and walked outside the statue with me. We were standing on a small ledge that overlooked the front half of the cistern. However, there wasn't anything else to do there, so I stepped forward and jumped off of the ledge. I fell towards the water, and landed in it with a huge splash. A second later, Link joined up with me, and I bobbed there for a second, thinking.

I knew we should probably go to the outer edge of the temple again and get the Dungeon Map, but I decided that it wasn't super important to get. On top of that, I saw a Silver Rupee glistening on the palm of a large hand underwater, so I decided to get it. "Follow me, Link," I said. I dove underwater, and swam over to the huge hand. When I got there, I did a spin attack, and propelled myself forward. I quickly grabbed the Silver Rupee, and made it out of the hand's reach before it could grab me.

Once I had the Rupee in my grasp, I swam back to the surface, and made my way over to a nearby Lily pad. I climbed up onto it, stuffed the Rupee in my wallet, and noticed that Link followed me. "Okay, now what?" he asked. I looked forward; there was another Lily pad close by, but it was flipped over, which meant that we couldn't jump on it. However, a huge root stuck out of it, which meant that I could latch onto it with my whip and flip it back over. So, that's what I did. I took out my whip, swung it at the root, flipped the Lily pad back over, and jumped onto it. Then, I looked upward, where there was a wall switch that I was looking for.

I swung my whip at the switch, and latched onto it. I pulled downward on my whip, and the switch fell, clicking into place. I heard a rumbling sound, and saw the waterfall to my left suddenly stop flowing. Link looked surprised. "Oh. I guess that answers my question," he half-mumbled. I chuckled, and pocketed my whip. "Okay, Link. You see that hole? That's where we have to go next," pointing to it. Link nodded. "Okay, Fi," he said jokingly before diving into the water. He swam downward, and I jumped in after him.

I swam downward, and followed Link into a small tunnel. We swam through it for a second, and came out in a small room with a gate and a Skulltula. Link and I pulled ourselves out of the water, and I took out my sword. "Hey, Link. There should be 20 Rupees in a chest back there. Go ahead and get that, and I'll kill this Skulltula. Alright?" I asked. Link nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll be right back," he answered, walking away.

Link walked off to the back of the room, and I turned to the Skulltula. I did a quick upward slash with my sword, and flipped it over on its back. Then, I did a Fatal Blow, and killed it before Link came walking back to me. I stood up from my attack, and Link walked past me, over to the gate. He stared through it for a second, and noticed a wall switch on the other side.

"Oh, okay. I get it," he muttered, more to himself than to me. Link took out his whip, and took a half-step back. Then, he cracked his whip, which went through the gate and latched onto the wall switch. Link pulled his whip back, and the switch clicked into place, opening the gate in front of us. He turned to me, and beckoned. "Come on, Samuel. Let's go," he said. I followed Link into the next room, and took a quick look around.

On our right, I could see a green Bokoblin and a small vine that Link and I could latch onto and swing across with our whips. And on the left, I could see some Blessed Butterflies fluttering about. In the very center of the room was a huge pool of water that I knew would carry us to the basement of the temple. So, I walked to the right side of the room, and Link followed me. The green Bokoblin tried to shoot something at me, but I blocked it with my Divine Shield, and slashed at it with my sword.

The Bokoblin was sent backward, and fell into the dark abyss that was behind it. After it disappeared from sight, Link spoke up. "So, now what do we have to do?" he inquired. I looked upwards at the vine, and retrieved my whip. "Follow me, Link. We still have a couple of things to do," I said. I swung my whip at the vine, and latched onto it. Then, I swung across the small abyss, grabbed onto the vine wall that was across from it, and held onto it tightly. I climbed up the wall, and waited for Link to do the same.

After Link saw what I had done, he took out his whip, and copied me. After Link climbed up onto the platform I was standing on, we looked forward, where there were two Deku-babas. I dashed forward, and killed the one on the left. I slashed through it, and Link did the same with the one on the right. Unfortunately, the Deku-babas didn't drop anything, so Link and I just glanced ahead. There was a huge cylinder covered in vines that rotated counterclockwise. Link walked forward, dashed up the cylinder, and grabbed hold of the vines. I followed him, and we climbed upward so the cylinder could drop us off at another ledge.

Once Link and I came to the small ledge, we got off of the cylinder to catch our breath for a second. After we were both breathing evenly, Link and I climbed back onto the cylinder, and rode it over to another platform that was below us. Link dropped down from the vines, and landed safely on the ground below. However, there was another green Bokoblin to take care of, so he hurried off to deal with it.

I dropped down after Link, and watched as he slayed the Bokoblin with a single swipe of his sword. After he finished, I walked over to him. I saw some Walltulas on the vine wall in front of us, so I took out my Slingshot and swiftly killed them so we could advance. Once the spiders were gone, Link looked ahead. There was the vine wall that we could now climb onto, but there also was a gate at the top of the wall, blocking the way up to the final switch that we would have to pull.

"Okay, Samuel. Can you get to that switch to the left?" he asked, pointing to the switch that would open the gate. I nodded. "Yeah, I can," I replied. I took out my whip, and once again latched used it to latch onto the vine in front of me. Then, I jumped off of the platform, and started swinging myself back and forth.

Eventually, I built up enough momentum to get myself over to the wall switch. I gave my whip a small tug at the end of my swing, and it disconnected from the vine, sending me forward. I flew over to the wall switch, and grabbed onto it. The switch was pulled down from my weight, and it clicked into place, opening the gate on my right.

Link nodded, and pulled out his own whip. "Okay, Samuel. It doesn't look like there's much to do up there, so wait down there for a second, okay?" he asked. I nodded, and let go of the wall switch. I fell, and landed smoothly on the ground. Then, I sat down for a second, and waited for Link to activate the whirlpool. As I sat there, I started to think about Jack, because we were getting closer to the boss battle with Koloktos. I thought about the Temple of Time, and about what Evil Jack had said before.

"_As you know, there's one crucial piece to the puzzle that's missing. And the worst part, Jack, is that even if you _do _manage to tell Samuel the song he needs…" _he had said_._ Obviously, he was referring to the Song of Healing, but I was scared by what he had said afterward. _"Actually, I'll keep that a secret for now. I will tell you this, though: you won't be getting rid of me as easily as you think you will. My master has a few tricks up his sleeve to make sure of that."_

What did he mean when he said that? Was the Song of Healing not enough to save Jack now? Would we have to do _another_ thing to free Jack on top of what we (including Jack) have already done? I honestly didn't want to think about it. All I wanted to do was free my friend from the mess that he didn't deserve to be in. _"He's been through enough already. I don't need any more bullcrap to deal with," _I thought bitterly.

My thoughts were interrupted by a noise coming from my right, so I turned to see that the whirlpool had started up. I stood back up, and Link jumped down to join me. "Okay then, Samuel. I'm guessing that's where we have to go next. Am I right?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah. Are you ready, Link?" I questioned back.

Link nodded, and we walked to the edge of the whirlpool. It looked like we were going to drown if we stepped into it, but I knew it would be alright. "Okay, on three, then. One…" I started. "Two…" Link continued. We paused for dramatic effect. "Three!" we shouted simultaneously. Link and I jumped into the whirlpool, and I immediately felt the strong current pull me downward.

I felt myself being dragged downward, and I started becoming dizzy. The only reason I was probably able to stay conscious was because of the Water Dragon's Scale. After about half a minute of pulling, pushing, and what felt like the best and worst water slide ever all at once, I felt myself be pitched out of a pipe, and I knew that Link and I had arrived in the basement of the Ancient Cistern.

**Okay, here's the description of Samuel and Jack, for those who want to draw them. **

**Samuel: **

**-Dark brown hair, with hair styled kind of like a crew cut, but longer. Bangs go down until just over the eyebrows. All in all, pretty realistic. Not super anime-ish, but if you want to try something out with it, go ahead.****  
****-Pretty much normal in terms of build, maybe a little on the weaker side. He's about a half inch to an inch shorter than Jack, maybe an inch and a half to two inches shorter than Link, if that helps.****  
****-He has green eyes, wears glasses, and he's a Hylian.**

**;)**

**Jack: **

**-Dirty blond hair. I've always imagined him as having the same hairstyle as Samuel(because I lack creativity), but if you have a different idea for him, then go for it. I won't stop you from trying things out. Just don't make it too unrealistic.****  
****-He's more buff than Samuel because he plays sports. Plus, all that training with Ghirahim has to do something, right? Like I said, he's ever-so-slightly slightly taller than Samuel, but ever-so-slightly shorter than SS Link. Link's the tallest of the three.****  
****-****Jack has a threatening look, but maybe nervous as well, because he's always getting possessed(if you can find a way to fit the "possessed" part in there, try to do it). Also, he has hazel eyes. ****  
**

**If you've got any more details you want to add, then go ahead and add them, or ask me if you've got any questions. Also, I'm sorry to say this, but I might be late with next week's chapter as well, because I have marching band basically all day Monday to Friday next week. So, sorry. :( Okay, then. That's all for now, so I'll see you all next chapter! Bye!**** :D**


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